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GEORGE   BIDWELL. 
(From  Photo,  by  Numa  Blanc.  Paris,  1S72.) 


Fofoing  •:•  Hi^  •:•  GMn^. 


THE  AUTOBIOGEAPHY 


OF 


GEOEGE  BIDWELL 


AN  AUTHENTIC   HISTORY  OF    HIS  UNEXAMPLED    CAREER    IN  AMERICA  AND 

EUROPE,    WITH   THE   STORY   OF   HIS  CONNECTION 

WITH   THE   SO-CALLED 

£1,000,000  FOReERY 

OIN-     THE     B^IN^K     OF     EI^^&L-A.N■r), 

AND    A    COMPLETE    ACCOUNT    OP     HIS    ARREST,     TRIAL,     CONVICTION,     AND 

CONFINEMENT   FOR  FOURTEEN   YEARS  IN 

ENGLISH  PRISONS. 


U/itl?  f/djm(^roiJ$  Illostratioijs. 


HARTFORD: 
S.    S.    SCR^^JSTTON    &    COM:P»i^JS^5r. 

1888. 


COPYRIGHT.    1888, 

By  S.  S.  Scranton  &  Co. 


THE   CASE,   LOCKWOOD    A    BRAINARD    CO., 
PRINTERS   AND    BINDERS, 
HARTFORD,    CONN. 


PEEFACE. 


The  early  chapters  of  this  volume  were  written  at  a  time 
when  I  had  some  misgivings  as  to  the  propriety  of  placing  it 
before  the  public.  It  seemed  to  me  likely  that  such  a  book 
would  be  misunderstood  and  misjudged  by  a  class  of  readers, 
and  the  real  purpose  of  its  publication  ignored.  My  friends 
disagreed  on  the  subject,  and  gave  dissimilar  advice.  I  was 
placed  in  a  position  not  unlike  John  Bunyan's : 

Some  said,  "John,  print  it;"  others  said,  "Not  so." 
Some  said,  "  It  might  do  good; "  others  said,  "  No." 

But  by  far  the  greater  number  of  my  friends  insisted  that  I 
must  publish  the  book ;  and  it  now  goes  forth  upon  its  mission, 
I  trust,  for  good.  I  sincerely  hope  that  no  one  will  regard  it 
as  a  mere  record  of  crime.  It  is  not  a  contribution  to  "  flash" 
literature,  or  designed  for  the  edification  of  the  vicious.  It  is 
intended  for  honest  people,  and,  I  may  add,  as  an  enduring 
injunction  for  them  to  remain  such. 

I  believe  it  to  be  a  duty,  which  I  owe  my  Creator  and  man- 
kind, to  occupy  the  remainder  of  my  days  in  "  works  meet  for 
repentance."  I  have  come  also  to  believe  that  in  no  way  can 
I  do  so  much  to  atone  for  past  misdeeds  as  by  giving  the  true 
story  of  my  life  to  the  world.  The  most  critical  reader  will 
scarcely  claim  that  my  physical  punishment  has  been  insuffi- 
cient; and  yet,  through  all  those  weary  years,  my  mental 
sufferings  were  by  far  the  greatest. 

In  all  ages  men  have  fallen  and  reformed.  If  this  book 
shall  tend  to  convince  the  people  of  my  native  land  of  my 
own  reformation,  one  of  its  objects  will  have  been  attained. 
If  it  shall  prove  a  timely  warning  to  any  young  business  men 
or  those  occupying  places  of  trust,  who  may  be  startled  into  a 
recognition  of  their  own  danger,  I  shall  feel  that  my  labor  has 
not  been  in  vain,  and  that  my  new  life  and  liberty  will  not  be 
altogether  useless.  G.  B. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
Explanatory,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17 

CHAPTER  n. 

My  Ancestors  —  My  Parents  and  Their  Religion  —  The  Tips  and  Downs 
of  a  Pioneer's  Life  in  Michigan  —  My  Father's  Business  Failures  —  I 
Turn  Peddler  and  Wood-sawyer  to  Support  the  Family  —  Nautical 
Experiences  —  The  Grand  Rapids  Disaster  —  I  Go  to  New  York  City 
and  Become  a  ' '  Drummer  " —  My  Untimely  Marriage  —  Signs  and 
Portents,       ........       25 

CHAPTER  in. 

Overweighted  at  the  Outset — A  Struggle  to  Support  Dependent  Ones  — 
My  First  Dishonest  Act  —  The  ' '  Patent  Globe  Coffee-Roaster  " —  Arrest 
on  Charge  of  Embezzlement  —  Examination  at  the  Tombs  Police 
Court,  and  Discharge  by  ' '  Big "  Justice  Connelly  —  The  Philoso- 
phy of  Crime  —  Twenty  Minutes  out  of  Prison  —  A  Suicidal  Re- 
trospect,      ........       38 

CHAPTER  IV. 

In  Business  on  Broadway  —  A  Typographical  Villain  —  Hilton  Floods 
the  Confederate  States  with  Spurious  Notes  and  Bonds — His  Arrest 
and  Confinement  in  Fort  Lafayette  —  Life  in  Ludlow  Street  Jail  — 
Oils  the  Wheels  of  the  Judicial  Chariot  with  $40,000  — A  Farcical 
Punishment  —  A  Question  for  Casuists,     .  .  ,  .47 

CHAPTER  V. 

I  Invent  a  Steam-kettle  and  Obtain  a  Patent  —  The  Broadway  Business 
Broken  L^p  —  My  Temporary  Discouragement  —  Attempt  to  Establish 
a  Factory  in  Toronto  —  Confidence  in  U.  S.  Greenbacks  —  Gold  on 
the  "Rampage"— $10,000  Reduced  by  Exchange  to  $3,000  — Retreat 
to  Chicago  —  Frank  Kibbe,  the  Merchandise  Swindler  —  I  Meet  him 
in  Buffalo  and  Baltimore  —  Kibbe,  Fearing  Arrest,  Induces  Me  to 
Collect  $1,000  —  A  "Crook's"  Chances  of  Escaping  Imprison- 
ment, ........       56 

(5) 


Q  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

A  Swindling  Commission  House  —  Kibbe  Absconds  with  $20,000  —  I 
Trace  Him  a  Thousand  Miles  —  The  Bogus  Firm  of  Henry  Harvey 
Short  &  Co.,  Buffalo  — "The  Rogue"  Run  to  Earth  — His  Race  for 
Liberty  —  Arrested  by  a  Detective  —  $600  Worth  of  "  Palm-grease  " — 
The  Detective  Assists  Him  to  "  Skip"  to  Canada  —  Injured  Innocence 
of  the  Chief  of  Police  —  Kicked  Out  — I  Bring  Kibbe  to  Bay  —  Some 
of  His  "Commercial"  Transactions  Extracted  from  the  "Nevv^  York 
Tribune,"     ........       64 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Partner-swindling  —  "Doctor"  Samuel  Bolivar  —  How  He  "Raised  the 
Wind" — Up  a  Tree  —  The  Way  He  Roped  in  Greenhorns  —  The 
Bogus  Reference  "Dead  Beat" — Jones's  Grand  Piano — The  Empty 
Box  —  The  Elm  City  Enterprise  comes  to  an  Untimely  End  —  Musical 
"Notes" — Diamond  Cut  Diamond  —  Beaten  by  an  Ex-associate,  who 
Disappears  into  Obscurity,  .  .  .  .  .74 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

In  the  Tobacco  Business  at  Wheeling,  West  Virginia  — Eldridge  and  the 
Cumberland  Swindle  —  Eldridge's  Arrest  — Post  and  Telegraph  Offices 
"Worked" — A  "Header"  out  of  a  Car  Window,  and  Escape  in  Irons 
—  An  Angel  in  the  Wilderness  —  A  "Rise"  taken  out  of  Pender  — 
Eldridge  Re-arrested  and  Lodged  in  Wheeling  Jail,  .  .       85 

CHAPTER  IX. 

My  Arrest  in  Evansville  —  Delivered  Upon  a  Requisition  Charging  Me 
with  Felony  —  Tried  for  Misdemeanor  and  Given  Two  Years  in  the 
County  Jail  —  Unequal  Sentences  —  A  "  Model  "  Jail  —  Adams  Express 
Robbers  —  Shelton  Plans  an  Escape,  .  .  .  .91 

CHAPTER  X. 

Eldridge,  Shelton,  Green,  and  Morgan  Break  out  of  Wheehng  Jail-- 
Morgan  Shot  Dead  — Leap  and  Run  for  Liberty  — Wanderings  in  the 
Forest  —  ' '  Borrowing  "  a  Horse-blanket  —  Starvation  and  a  Goose- 
chase— A  Dinner  Won  — Eldridge  Loses  His  Companions  in  Crossing 
the  Ohio  — A  Narrow  Escape  —  A  Fearful  Ride  —  Freedom  at  Last 
and  a  Pilgrimage  —  The  Good  Quaker  Lady  —  Arrival  in  New 
Y'ork,  ......••       98 


CONTENTS.  7 

CHAPTER  XI. 

A  Futile  Plan  —  An  "Old  Saw" — A  New  Conspiracy  to  Escape  —  A 
Traitor  —  I  am  "  Bucked  "  and  Horsewhipped  —  To  Heal  My  Wounded 
Spirit  I  Set  the  Jail  on  Fire  —  Christmas  Dinner  in  Jail  —  My  Party 
Escape  —  Cross  the  Ohio  in  a  "Borrowed"  Boat  —  A  Stolen  Ride  — 
A  "Tramp"  —  Good  Luck  and  Good  Samaritans — Meet  Peney  in 
New  Orleans,  .......     108 

CHAPTER  XH. 

Forgers  Wilkes  and  Sheridan  —  A  Big  Gold  "  Operation  "  in  Wall  Street 
Frustrated  —  Other  Gold  Forgeries  —  Engles,  "The  Terror  of  Wall 
Street " —  Fighting  the  "Tiger  " —  The  Forger  and  Gambler  at  Home  — 
Further  Transactions  —  A  Model  Constable,  .  .  .     121 

CHAPTER  XHI. 

George  McDonald's  Early  Life  —  Goes  to  Harvard  College  —  His  Parents 
—  He  Leaves  Home  —  Meets  Kibbe,  "The  Rogue "^- Gets  into  the 
' '  Tombs  " —  I  Make  His  Acquaintance  —  Sketch  of  Austin  Bidwell  —  A 
"Male  Quartet"  off  for  Europe  —  Arrival  in  London  —  A  "Duet" 
Visit  Ireland  —  "  Freaks  "  Endorsed  on  Bank  of  England  Notes  —  Mr. 
Green — He  Introduces  "Warren"  to  the  Bank  —  Mr.  Francis  and 
Mr.  Fenwick,  Bank  Managers  —  Warren  Opens  an  Account  at  the 
Bank  of  England,    .  .  .  .  .  .  .133 

CHAPTER  XrV. 

Bordeaux,  Marseilles,  and  Lyons  "Donate"  $50,000  —  A  Bad  Quarter  of 
an  Hour  —  Eggs  and  Peasant  Women — "  Sweets  to  the  Sweet" — A 
Mysterious  Stranger  Disappears  Among  the  Tombs  —  Reunion  in 
London — Cowardice  or  "Prudence"  of  George  Engles,  .  .     144 

CHAPTER  XV. 

"The  Terror  of  Wall  Street"  Returns  to  New  York— Takes  Parties  of 
Forgers  to  England  and  the  Continent  —  He  is  Arrested  —  Fruitless 
Examples  —  Starts  a  Faro  Bank  —  Fights  Strange  "Tigers" — His 
Premature  Death  in  1886 — Voyage  to  Rio  Janeiro  —  The  Lady  of 
the  Lucitania  —  A  Swedish  Colonel's  Party  of  English  Engineers  —  A 
Bibulous  Chaplain  —  $50,000  on  Bogus  Letters  of  Credit  —  Mr. 
Solomons  —  An  Anxious  Time  —  Munson  in  a  "Fix"  —  Strategic 
Movements  to  Extricate  Him,  .  .  .  .  .154 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Technicalities  of  Brazilian  Law  —  In  a  Tight  Spot  —  I  Resolve  on  a  Bold 
Coup  —  Efficacy  of  a  Suitable  "Douceur"  —  A  "Doctored"  Passport 

—  A    Detective   on   Trail,    Who    Ingratiates    Himself   into   Munson's 
Confidence  —  Maneuvers  —  The  Detective  on  a  "  Wild  Goose  CLse" 

—  Safely   on    Board  —  A   Distinguished    Party    in    a    Rowboat  —  A 
Stern  Chase  —  Off  at  Last,  .  .  .  .  .     165 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Idle  Days  at  Rio  — Imperial  Honors  — Visit  to  a  Coffee   Plantation  — 
Slaves  — A   Trip   to   the   La  Plata  —  Ten    Days'    Quarantine   on  the 
Island  De  Flores  —  Montevideo  and  Buenos  Ayres  —  The  "La  France  " 

—  Out  in  a  Pampero  —  Return  to  England,  .  .  .     173 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

I  Meet  Munson  in  Paris  —  His  Account  of  the  Voyage  From  Rio  —  A 

Pleasure    Trip    to   Vienna  —  Orpheus    and    Eurydice  —  An    Electric 

Phenomena  —  I  Air  My  German  —  Return  to  London  —  Incidents  of 

Travel  in  Germany,  ......     180 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Unsuccessful  Attempt  to  "Beat  the  Dutch " 

—  London  Again  —  First  Inception  of  tl 
Forgery  —  Deductions  from  McDonald's  "Great  Discovery"  —  Verifi- 
cation of  Commercial  Notes  and  Bills  of  Exchange  —  Letter  From  a 
Bank  Manager  —  I  Cable  to  America  for  Noyes  —  Sir  Sidney  Water- 
low's  Clerks  —  Mistaken  Identity  —  A  Key  to  the  Mystery  —  No  Wood 
Engravers  in  Paris  —  I  Put  My  Neck  in  the  Halter  —  Horton  Account 
Opened  at  the  Continental  Bank  —  The  "Fraud  Machine "  in  Working 
Order  —  I  Resolve  to  Give  Up  the  Contemplated  Fraud  and  Go  Home 

—  A  Fatal  Compliance  —  Don't,     .....     185 

CHAPTER  XX. 

A  Headlong  Marriage  —  Tragic  End  of  a  Bridal  Tour  —  First  Letter  to 
the  Bank  of  England  —  $50,000  a  Day  — Am  Puzzled  What  to  Do 
With  So  Much  Gold  — A  Trio  at  the  St.  James  Hotel,  Piccadilly  — 
Forebodings  —  A  Joke  on  the  Prince  of  Wales  —  Garraway's,      .     199 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  Fraud  Discovered  —  Noyes  Arrested  —  A  Clearance  —  An  Important 
Piece  of  Blotting  Paper  —  Flight  of  McDonald  —  Examination  of 
Noyes  at  the  Mansion  House,  before  Lord  Mayor  Waterlow  —  The 
Bank  Solicitor,  C.  K.  Freshfield,  M.  P.  —  Dr.  Kenealy,    .  .     210 


CONTENTS.  9 

CHAPTER    XXn. 

Hunted  Through  Ireland  —  $2,500  Reward  for  My  Capture  —  Detectives 
"  Spot "  Me  at  the  Cork  Railway  Station  —  Obliged  to  Abandon  Taking 
Passage  by  the  Ill-fated  Atlantic —  A  Game  of  "Hare  and  Hounds  "  — 
Ehiding  a  Detective  "Trap"  —  English  Misrule  in  Ireland — Am 
Taken  for  a  Priest  —  A  Typographical  Thunderbolt  at  Lismore  — 
An  Early  Morning  Walk  —  A  Ride  on  an  Irish  Jaunting-car  —  "On  the 
Road  to  Clonmel"  —  Shelter  in  a  "Shebeen" — How  Thirsty  Souls 
Get  the  "Craythur"  in  Ireland — A  Good  Old  Irish  Lady  —  Pursuit, 
and  Refuge  in  a  Ruined  Cottage  at  Cahir,  ,  .  .     220 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

An  Unceremonious  Call — "I  am  a  Fenian  Leader"  —  A  "Story"  Told 
in  the  Dark  —  Maloy  Helps  my  Escape  on  an  Irish  Jaunting-car  — 
Eggs  —  A  Policeman  Anxious  to  Obtain  the  Five  Hundred  Pounds 
Reward  —  Dublin  Again  —  A  Jewess's  Blessing  —  I  Turn  Russian,  and 
Later  Become  a  Frenchman  —  Belfast  Detectives  —  Escape  into  Scot- 
land —  The  Other  Side  of  the  Story  —  A  Bow-street  Detective's  Adven- 
tures while  Hunting  me  Through  Ireland  —  Cross-Questioning  my 
Jaunting-car  Driver  —  A  "Cold  Water  Cure"  —  Hot  on  the  Trail  — 
Not  in  the  Fort  —  A  Fruitless  Hunt  —  Many  Innocents  Arrested  — 
Maloy  Becomes  a  "Know-Nothing,"  ....     232 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Arrival  in  Edinburgh  —  A  Mystery  Unveiled  —  Editorial  from  the  "Lon- 
don Times"  —  I  Am  Arrested  —  M'Kelvie  and  McNab  —  Diamonds  — 
Bailie  Wilson  —  Crowds  to  See  Me  Off — Transferred  to  London  —  A 
Night  at  Bow-Street  Police  Station  —  Before  the  Lord  Mayor  of  Lon- 
don —  The  Mansion  House  —  Consigned  to  Newgate,        .  .     244 

CHAPTER    XXV. 

Extradition  of  Austin  Bidwell  from  Cuba  and  George  McDonald  from 
New  York  —  Austin  Arrested  in  Havana  —  A  "New  York  Herald" 
Editorial  —  Sympathy  with  "  Fillibusters  "  —  Cable  Dispatches  to 
"The  Herald"  and  "The  London  Times  "  —  General  Sickles's  Inter- 
view with  Senor  Castelar  at  Madrid  —  Bidwell  Escapes  —  Recapture  — 
He  is  Surrendered  to  The  British  Government  —  Arrival  in  England  — 
McDonald  Arrives  in  New  York  —  Detectives  Irving  and  Farley  Trick 
Sheriff  Judson  Jarvis  —  Board  the  "  Thuringia  "  at  Quarantine  — 
Curious  "Search"  of  McDonald  —  Sheriffs  Jarvis  and  Curry  Too 
Late  —  No  Bonds  Recovered  —  Seize  Watches  and  Diamonds  —  Mc- 
Donald at  Ludlow  Street  Jail  —  Extradition  Proceedings  —  Startling 


10  CONTENTS. 

Arrest  of  Superintendent  Kelso  and  Detectives  Irving  and  Farley  — 
McDonald's  Ride  Down  Broadway  —  In  Fort  Columbus  —  Surrendered 
to  the  British  Government  —  Exit  on  Steamship  "Minnesota"  —  The 
"Dominion's  Selfish  Protection  of  Bank  Defaulters,  Boodlers," 
etc.,  ........     250 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

First  Mght  in  Newgate  —  Governor  Jonas  —  Exercise  at  Newgate  —  Dr. 
Kenealy  —  Mr.  George  Lewis  —  Mr.  Howell,  a  ' '  Pattern  "  Solicitor  — 
A  Fatal  Concession  on  My  Part  —  Don't  "  Swap  Horses  A^Tiile  Crossing 
a  Stream  '*  —  Howell  "  Fees "  Barristers  For  Us  —  His  "Management  " 
of  Our  Case  —  Howell  "Holds"  My  Diamond  Studs  — 108  Witnesses 

—  Visitors  at  Newgate  —  Howell's  "Benevolent"  Calls  —  Mistaken 
Identification  —  London  Aldermen  —  Another  Phase  of  ' '  Life  in 
Newgate,"  from  the  London  "Times"  —  Caged  Animals  —  Alfred  de 
Rothschild  and  One  of  His  "Familiars"  —  Visit  from  The  Russian 
Prince  Imperial,  the  Present  Czar  —  Lord  Mayor  Waterlow  Again  — 
The  Prince's  Retinue  —  I  Contemplate  Returning  His  Call  at  St. 
Petersburg,  ........     262 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Held  For  Trial  —  The  Fatal  "Not  Guilty  "  — A  "  Times "  Editorial  — 
Noyes'  Letter  To  His  Brother  Read  in  Court — A  Touching  Scene  — 
Death  of  Detective  M'Kelvie,  Who  Secured  My  Arrest  in  Edinburgh 

—  The  Lords  Stirred  Up,  .  .  .  .  .  .276 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Report  of  the  Trial  at  the  "Old  Bailey  "  — First  Day,  Monday,  August 
18,  1873  —  The  Legal  Talent  Engaged  —  Arguments  For  and  Against 
Postponement  —  Trial  Must  Proceed  —  The  Jury  —  Mr.  Giffard,  Q.  C, 
Opens  the  Case  for  the  Prosecution  —  He  Outlines  the  Plot  —  Gives 
an  Outline  of  Financial  Transactions  —  Austin's  Letter  for  Mac  — 
"Your  Health"  —  My  Own  Letter  to  Mac—  "A  Hell's  Chase  and  no 
Mistake"  —  Adjourned  for  Luncheon,        ....     280 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 

The  Trial  Continued  —  Second  Day,  Tuesday,  August  19th  — IMr.  Edward 
Hamilton  Green,  Master  Tailor,  Testifies  —  How  Detectives  Sometimes 
Manufacture  "Evidence" — Mr.  Edward  Elliot  Green  also  Testifies  — 
Examination  of  Mr.  Robert  Bloomfield  Fenwick,  Sub-Manager—  Col. 
Peregrine  Madgwick  Francis,  Manager  of  the  Western  Branch  of 
the  Bank  of  England — Commercial  Correspondence  —  Rothschild's 
Signature,    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .297 


CONTENTS.  11 

CHAPTER    XXX. 

The  Trial  Continued  —  Third  Day,  Wednesday,  August  20th  —  German 
'^ Barons  and  Bankers  on  the  Stand  —  Operations  in  Frankfort-on-the- 
Main  —  Bank  of  England  Clerks  Narrate  their  Experiences  and  Dis- 
bursements —  The  Manager  of  the  Continental  Bank  in  the  Witness- 
Box  —  Bank  of  England  Notes  Exchanged  for  Gold,  and  Vice 
Versa,  ........     313 

CHAPTER   XXXI. 

The  Trial  Continued—  Fourth  Day,  Thursday,  August  21st  —  Dutch 
Bankers  Who  Would  Not  Be  "Beat"  Testify —  A  Hebrew  Broker  of 
Amsterdam  on  the  Stand  —  Operations  in  German  Bills  of  Exchange  — 
Accident  on  the  Northern  Railway  of  France  —  Interview  Between 
Baron  Alfonse  de  Rothschild  and  Austin  Bidwell  in  Paris  —  A 
£4,500  Bill  —  Heavy  Transactions  in  United  States  Bonds  on  the 
Continent,    ........     323 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
The  Trial  Continued  — Fifth  Day,  Friday,  August  22d  — A  Waiter  and 
"  Cabbies  "  Testify — "Quite  Light  Even  in  Birmingham"  —  A  Lady 
Hotel-Manager's  Testimony  —  Much  Correspondence  —  A  Mysterious 
Box  — $220,000,  Like  Falstaff,  Hidden  Among  "  Soiled  Linen  "  —  Mr. 
DaCosta,  of  New  York,  Details  "The  Rape  of  the  Lock"  —  Another 
Hotel  Waiter  Speaks  —  The  Sheriff  Takes  the  Jury  for  an  Airing  in  a 
Coach-and-Four,      .......     331 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

The  Trial  Continued  —  Sixth  Day,  Saturday,  August  23d  —  London 
Salesmen  Remember  Good  Customers  —  Bidwell  Buys  a  Hat  —  An 
Expensive  Cane — Noyes  Orders  Shirts  and  Pays  for  Them  —  A  Cham- 
bermaid Recollects  —  A  Lady  Hotel-Keeper's  Story  —  The  Tell-Tale 
Blotter  —  Another  Mysterious  Box  —  Franz  Anton  Herold's  Curious 
Evidence  —  A  Remarkably  Quick  Journey  to  Paris  —  More  Clothes  — 
"I  Thought  Him  a  Perfect  Gentleman" — "Superb"  Cookery  —  A 
Post-Mortem  Deposition — "Not  Looking  for  Fenians"  —  Diamonds 

—  Light  Gold  —  I  Purchase  Large  Sums  in  Foreign  Gold  and  Notes 

—  References    Required    to    Open    Bank    Accounts  —  Testimony    of 
Thomas  Straker,  Engraver  and  Printer,     ....     338 

CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

The  Trial  Continued  —  Seventh  Day,  Monday,  August  25th  —  William 
Mitchell,  Die-Sinker  and  Stamp-Cutter,  Bell  Alley,  Cross-Examined 
by  George  Bidwell  —  Mr.  George  Boole  Chaloner,  Master  Printer,  Tes- 


;[2  CONTENTS. 

tifies  —  William   Cheshire,    Engraver,    Paternoster-Row,    Does   Fancy 
Work   for    George    Bidwell  —  Other   Witnesses    Cross-Examined    by 
George  Bidwell  —  James  Dalton,  a  Deaf  and  Dmnb  Engraver,  is  Ex- 
amined—  The    Bidwell    Coat-of-Arms  —  A   Police    Constable   and   a 
London  Detective  Sergeant  in  the  Witness-Box — A  Scotch  Boarding- 
House   Mistress    Recognizes  —  More   Detective   Testimony  —  A   Glas- 
gow Fellow  Passenger  on   the    Lucitania  —  Mr.   Charles  Chabot,  the 
Expert    in    Hand- Writing,    Testifies  —  Another    Hotel- Waiter    Gives 
Evidence,     ........     355 

CHAPTER    XXXV. 

The  Trial  Continued  —  Eighth  and  Last  Day,  Tuesday,  August  26th  — 
An  Affecting  Letter  —  Noyes  Tries  to  Save  The  Old  Homestead —  "He 
Likes  to  Stay  in  Europe  ''  —  A  Letter  of  Condolence  —  My  Letters  from 
Edinburgh  —  The  Case  for  the  Prosecution  Closed  —  Mr.  Metcalf,  Q.  C, 
Takes  a  Formal  Objection,  which  is  Overruled  —  Mr.  Giffard,  Q.  C, 
Sums   Up  the   Evidence   on  the  Part   of  the  Prosecution  —  McDon- 
ald's Statement  to  the  Jury  —  George  Bidwell's  Remarks  Cut  Short  by 
Judge  Archibald  —  Mr.  Mclntire's  Plea  for  Austin  Bidwell  —  Mr.  Rib- 
ton  Addresses  the  Jury  on  Behalf  of  Noyes  —  Judge  Archibald  Sums 
Up  —  Jury  Retires  —  Bring  in  a  Verdict  of  "  Guilty  "  —  Austin  Bidwell 
Exonerates  the  Bank  Manager  —  Last  Appeal  of  the  Prisoners  —  Sen- 
tenced for  Life,        .......     365 

CHAPTER   XXXVI. 

Plan  of  Escape  From  Newgate  During  the  Trial  at  Old  Bailey  —  Article 
From  London  Times  —  A  Tempest  in  a  Teapot  —  Arrest  of  Warders 
Leach,  Smidt,  and  Norris  —  The  "Pattern  Solicitor"  Howell  Again  — 
A  Faithful  Brother — A  Soap  Prison  Key  —  300  Sovereigns  Thrown 
Away  —  Solicitor  Howell's  "Benevolent"  Visits  to  Newgate  —  His 
Astute  Plan — A  Prison  "Tool"  —  His  Treason  and  Its  Results — A 
Body-Guard  of  Policemen  —  Norris  Gets  Three  Months  for  Acting  as  a 
Postman  —  John  Bright's,  Chamberlain's,  Spurgeon's,  Churchill's,  Mor- 
ley's,  Marquises  Lymington's  and  Hartington's  Letters  —  Charles  Dud- 
ley Warner,  Mrs.  H.  Beecher  Stowe,  and  Mark  Twain's  Petition  for 
Austin  Refused  —  John  Bidwell  Flies  From  England — Success  of 
Howell's  Rascality  —  He  Is  Expelled  The  Profession,        .  .     384 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

Penal  Servitude  For  Life  —  First  Night  After  the  Sentence  —  Despair  — 
Attempted  Suicide  —  Saved  By  a  Supernatural  Warning  —  In  Chains 
—  The  Black  Maria  —  Newgate  Burying-Ground  —  Arrival  at  Penton- 
ville  Prison  —  An  Ominous  Reception  —  Medical  Inspection  —  Picking 
Oakum  —  Exercise  —  Remarks  on  Prison  Life  —  The  Nine  Months  Soli- 
tary System  an  Absurdity  —  Inequality  of  Sentences,        .  .     399 


CONTENTS.  13 

CHAPTER    XXXVm. 

i^octor  Vane  C.  Clarke  —  Effects  of  Solitude  on  My  Mind  —  A  Desperate 
Plan  to  Escape  —  A  Convict  Imbecile  —  Star  Men  —  Other  Classes  of 
Convicts  —  Their  Dress  and  Food  —  Eemission  Marks,      .  .     413 

CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

Prison  Authorities  —  Governors  —  Doctors  — Duties  of  the  Chief  Warder 

—  Why  Warders  Are  False  to  Their  Duties  —  A  Perfect  Convict  Sys- 
tem on  Paper  —  Corrupt  Warders  —  Brutalities  —  Kill  and  Leave  No 
Marks  —  Convict  Robinson  Kicked  to  Death  —  An  Honest  Warder 
Discharged  as  Insane  For  Exposing  It  —  Result  When  Convicts  Com- 
plain—  Charles  Dudley  Warner's  Opinion  —  Abstract  of  Prison  Regu- 
lations —  Progressive  Stages  —  Dietaries,  ....     427 

CHAPTER   XL. 

How  (Not)  to  Obtain  "Porridge"  —  Prospecting  For  a  Plan  of  Escape 

—  Too  Much  Heat  Evaporates  the  Idea  —  Despair  Demands  Death  or 
Liberty —  "  Old"  Varney,  the  Snorer  —  I  Dig  Out  Bricks  in  Search  of 
Porridge,  but  Find  Chains  —  Official  "Investigation"  With  a  Ven- 
geance—  Chained  —  Bread  and  Water  —  Am  Found  Insensible  —  An 
Electric  Shock  —  How  a  Convict  Can  Prove  Sickness  Not  to  Be 
Shammed  —  Under  Observation  —  In  "  Hot  Water  "  —  A  Cold  Water 
Shock — "Old  "Bones  —  Transported  to  Dartmoor,  .  .     437 

CHAPTER  XLL 

Dartmoor  Convict  Establishment  —  Prison  Association — Niblo  Clark  — 
His  Story  —  Steals  Two  Coats  —  Takes  Refuge  on  the  Roofs  —  A  Dar- 
ing Leap  —  A  Terrified  Woman  —  Fifteen  Years  for  ' '  Cheeking  "  the 
Judge  —  The  "  Pipps  "  —  He  is  Ambushed  by  the  Medical  Officer,  448 

CHAPTER  XLIL 

Doctor  Power  —  Governor  Harris  —  Hard  Life  and  Terrible  Death  of  an 
Italian  Convict  —  Lord  Kimberly  in  My  Cell — Phillips,  the  Con- 
vict Imposter  —  A  Perambulator  —  Ingratitude  —  Another  Imposter 
"Raised"  by  Galvanic  Shocks  —  Boozer's  Story  —  Soap  as  an  Article 
of  Diet  —  How  Convicts  Get  Into  the  Hospital  —  Beef  Steaks  as 
Breastplates — "Reliable"  Convicts  on  the  Look  Out — "Whopper" 

—  How  to  Get  a  Good  Dinner  in  Prison  —  Sacrificing  an  Eye  for  a 
Few  Weeks  in  Hospital  —  Taggart,  a  Prison  "Faker"  —  An  Incurable 
Abscess,       ........     456 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 

Kill  or  Cure  —  Punishment  Cells  —  The  Tailors'  Shop  —  Before  the  Gov- 
ernor —  Bread  and  Water  —  The  Crank  —  Grinding  the  Wind  —  Prin- 
cipal Warder  Westlake — I  Obtain  "Porridge"  at  Last  —  On  the  Bare 
Boards  —  Desperation  —  Cut  My  Throat  —  In  Handcuffs  —  Rescued  hj 


14  CONTENTS, 

the  Chaplain,  A.  H.  Ferris  —  A  Good  Samaritan  —  A  Governor's, 
Chaplains',  and  Prisoners'  Letters  —  A  Prison  "Shave"  —  An  Elec- 
tric Cannonade  —  In  Extremity  —  Governor  Avery  and  His  Noble- 
Hearted  Wife  —  Warder  Westlake  Brought  to  Book  —  A  Convict 
Shot  Dead  —  Another  Badly  Wounded,    ....     467 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 

Doctor  Smalley  —  Transferred  to  Woking  Invalid  Palace — A  Gang  of 
.  Chained  Convicts  at  Plymouth  Station  —  A  Delightful  Journey  to  End 
in  a  Living  Grave  —  Description  of  Woking  Prison  Palace  —  Major- 
Gen.  Sir  Joshua  Jebb  —  Doctor  Campbell  —  Gangs  of  Living  Skeletons 
from  Chatham  —  Chatham  Prison  and  Great  Basins  —  The  Revolt  at 
Chatham  —  Remorseless  Severity  Against  the  Revolters  —  No  Investi- 
gation as  to  the  Cause  of  Revolt  —  Sneaking  Part  of  Our  Food  to  the 
Skeletons  — A  Month  out  of  Prison,         .  .  .  .     483 

CHAPTER  XLV. 

Prison  Tortures  —  The  Cat-o'-Nine-Tails  —  Flogging  —  The  Birch  — 
Squire  Morris  —  How  He  Obtained  Promotion  —  The  Galvanic  Battery 

—  The  Straight- Jacket —  "  Screw  Him  Up"  —  Unauthorized  Brutality 

—  How  They  Feed  a  Man  in  the  Jacket  —  Two  Brutes,  Warders  Vile 
and  James  —  The  Humane  Principal  Warder  Fry  —  Crippled  For  Life 
by  the  Jacket  —  The  ' '  Cleaner  "  Mackey  —  Retribution  for  Vile,      494 

CHAPTER  XL VI. 

Books  —  Prison  Pets  —  Rat  Performs  on  the  Trapeze  —  Rat  Jealousy  and 
Rodent  Reasoning  —  An  Intelligent  Mouse  —  Its  Betrayal  and  Death  — 
A  Beetle  the  Sole  Companion  of  My  Solitude  —  Tame  Flies  —  Setting 
a  Fly's  Disjointed  Leg  —  Champion  Encounters  Between  Flies  —  My 
Mosquito  Friends  —  General  Remarks,        ....     504 

CHAPTER  XLVII. 

Doctor  Campbell  Retires  —  Remarks  About  Warders  —  Doctor  Von  Mar- 
tin—  A  Four-Bedded  Dormitory  —  Electric  Shocks  "Restore"  Bed- 
Ridden  Cripples — Strange  Characters  —  A  Cadger  and  a  Pickpocket 

—  Selwin's  Story  —  Whopper's  Life  —  An  Honorable  Pickpocket  —  Lo- 
comoto  Praxis  —  A  Pickpocket's  Sons  —  Ex-Solicitor  D Mor- 
alizing —  A  Little  Light  Followed  by  Deeper  Gloom  —  Doctor  Braine 

—  Abbot's  Brutality  —  Governor  Bones  Again  —  Under  Him  Woking 
Becomes  a  Den  of  Horrors  —  He  is  Superseded  —  A  Restoration  Under 
Doctor  Vane  C.  Clarke  —  Pennock,  the  Epileptic  —  34  Years  in  Prison 

—  His  Sad  Story  —  A  Promise  Yet  Unfulfilled,     .  .  ,511 


CONTENTS.  15 

CHAPTER  XL VIII. 

Woking  Convict  Lunatic  Asjlum  —  Self-Macle  Lunatics  —  Vile  and 
James  Again  —  Vile's  Reception  of  a  Lunatic —  "We  Can  Kill  a  Man 
and  Leave  No  Marks"  —  How  They  Do  It  —  Lunatic  Imposters  and 
Their  Doings — The  Woking  High  Priest —  "Life's  Action"  —  Robbed 
of  Three  Years  Remission  —  Governmental  Inconsistencies  —  Justice 
vs.  Injustice,  .......     523 

CHAPTER  XLIX. 

(Not)  "Uriah  Heep  "  —  A  Sketch  of  His  Life  —  At  15  Escapes  From  a 
Lunatic  Asylum  —  Obtains  a  Situation  —  Robs  His  Employer  —  Es- 
capes from  Raynell  Asylum  —  Steals  an  Attendant's  Suit  —  Gets  Five 
Years  Penal  Servitude  at  Chatham  —  Sent  from  Prison  Back  to  The 
Asylum  —  Escapes  Nude  with  Shaved  and  Blistered  Head  —  How  He 
Got  a  Suit  —  How  He  Learned  the  Painters'  Trade  —  How  He  Got  a 
Second  Term  of  Seven  Years —  "Fetches"  the  Woking  Lunatic  Wing 

—  Discharge  and  Departure  for  America  —  He  Returns  —  Gets  a  Third 
Term  of  Ten  Years  —  Bleeding — Straight- Jacket  —  Fourteen  Months 
Without  Eating,      .  .  .  .  .  .  .533 

CHAPTER  L. 

The  Ultimate  Fate  of  Forgers—  "Old  Patch,"  the  First  Bank  of  England 
Forger  —  Wilkes,  the  Railway  Man  —  He  First  Becomes  a  Gambler, 
then  a  Forger  —  George  Engles'  Finale  —  Wilson,  Yanderpool,  alias 
Brockway,  Charles  Becker,  Joe  Chapman,  George  Bell,  Robert  S.  Bal- 
lard, Thomas  Ballard,  Walter  Sheridan,  Frank  Kibbe,  Little  Elliott, 
W.  H.  Lyman,  Stephen  Raymond,  Perrine,  Dan  Noble,  Williamson, 
Rosencranz,  alias  Wise,  etc.,  Spence  Pettis,  George  Watson,  Van 
Etten,  Lewis  Cole,  Charles  Lister,  and  Johnny  Miller,  Forgers,    .     544 

CHAPTER  LI. 

The  "  Ticket- of-Leave  "  Man  —  Facsimile  of  an  Ordinary  Ticket-of- 
Leave  —  Requirements  and  Regulations  Printed  on  Its  Back  — 
Prisoner's  Aid  Society  —  Prisoners'  Opinions  of  That  Society  —  No 
Chance  for  Ex-Convicts  in  England — How  Prison  Gratuity  Money  is 
Used  —  Buying  a  New  Suit  —  Prisons  the  Best  Homes  Many  Ever  Had 

—  Ex-Convicts  Blackmailed  —  Welch,  "The  Truss  of  Straw,"  and 
Parker,  "Model"  London  Detectives — By  Perjury  They  Get  Piper 
and  Shaw  Fourteen  Years  —  Parker  Arrested  and  the  Truth  Becomes 
Known — Piper  and  Shaw  Discharged  After  Serving  Eighteen  Months 
of  the  Fourteen  Years  —  Piper  Leaps  From  London  Bridge  —  Gets 
£100  Damages  for  Wrongful  Imprisonment  —  The  Right  Honorable 
Henry  Matthews  —  Conclusion,      .....     550 


16 


TICKET  OF  LEAVE. 


Order  of  Licence  to  a  Convict  made  under  the  Statutes  16  c^  17  VicL, 
c.  99,  5.  9,  and  21  &  2S  Vict.,  c.  47,  ».  4. 


Whiteh^l, 
//^day  of 

t?iio  was  convicted  of     CTZ^^rr--^,^^-^--^^ 


on  the  /f^'  day  of 

then  and  there  sentenced  to  be  kept  in  R 


iously  please(Ho 


18^^,  and  was 


noTT  confined  in  the 


il  Servitude  for  lltn  htiiiii  ilP 


Convict  Prison, 


Her  Rojal  Licence  to  be  at  large  ir^  the  day  of  his  liberation 
under  this  order,  during  the  remaining  portion  of  hissaid  term  of  Penal 

Servitude,  unless  the  said    ^^^^^e^-g^-^^^-y^^      ^^C^^xJ^^L^^-^^-^^ 

shall,  before  the  expiration  of  the  said  term,  be  convicted  of  some 
indictable  offence  within  the  United  Kingdom,  in  which  case,  such 
Licence  will  be  immediately  forfeited  by  law,  or  unless  it  shall  please 
Her  Majesty  sooner  to  revoke  or  alter  such  Licence^ 

This  Licence^  is  given  subject  to  the  conditions  endorsed  upon  the 
same,  npon  the  breach  of  any  of  which  it  will  be  liable  to  be  revoked 
whether  such  breach  is  followed  by  a  conviction  or  not. 

And  Her  Majesty  hereby  orders  that  the  said 
^^i^^J^^^l-^.^^^  be  set  at  hber 

from  the  date  of  this  Order. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  Seal, 

Sirmed, 


.J  Days 


TRUE  COPY. 
Licence  to  he  at  large. 

E  &  3  C23,57t)a)  500  4-«J 


} 


Chairman  of  the  Directc^s 
of  Convict  Prisons* 


\ 


AFTER  IMPRISONMENT.     (From  Photo,  by  Stuart,  Hartford.) 


Chapter  I. 


EXPLANATORY. 

DURING  the  past  twenty  years,  hundreds  of  columns 
have  been  published  in  the  newspapers  throughout  the 
world  regarding  myself  and  my  transactions.  Having  been  so 
freely  commented  upon  by  press  and  public,  while  it  was 
beyond  my  power  to  reply,  now  that  I  am  again  free,  I  feel  it 
incumbent  on  me  to  publish  the  true  story  of  my  life,  which 
will  not  only  correct  all  mistakes  or  false  reports  which  may 
have  been  circulated,  but  serve  as  a  perpetual  warning  to  the 
young  men  of  America  to  avoid  the  temptations  by  which  I 
was  beset,  and  to  restrain  that  inordinate  thirst  for  gold 
which  seems  fully  as  insatiable  to-day  as  it  was  a  score  of 
years  ago. 

The  alleged  15,000,000  Forgery  on  the  Bank  of  England, 
in  1873,  is  now  a  matter  of  history ;  and  as  I  have  been 
regarded  the  principal  character  in  that  transaction,  I  feel 
sure  that  no  reader  will  question  my  ability  to  "  tell  the  whole 
truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,"  regarding  the  gigantic 
fraud.  My  capture,  and  subsequent  incarceration  in  English 
prisons,  are  facts  as  widely  known  as  the  forgery  itself. 
Before  commencing  the  narrative  proper,  I  desire  to  picture  a 
few  of  the  realities  of  my  prison  life,  and  to  explain  my  pres- 
ence in  America,  a  free  man. 

Before  I  had  been  six  months  in  prison,  heavy  band-irons 
were  riveted  around  my  ankles.  These  were  connected  by  a 
chain,  and  I  was  condemned  to  wear  them  day  and  night,  in 
bed  and  out,  for  six  months.  I  was  also  forced  to  wear  a 
parti-colored  dress,  one-half  of  the  jacket  and  knee-breeches 
3  (17) 


Ig  IN  CHAINS. 

being  yellow  and  the  other  buff.  I  will  hereafter  describe  in 
full,  with  illustrations,  both  the  ordinary  and  the  punishment 
suits  worn  by  prisoners  in  the  English  prisons,  and  give  the 
alleged  reasons  for  my  punishment,  with  an  account  of  what 
I  did  to  incur  such  a  fate.  The  ultimate  consequence  of  this 
treatment  was  that,  throughout  the  next  thirteen  years,  I  was 
unable  to  stand  upon  my  feet.  During  the  first  five  years  of 
that  period  I  was  never  out  of  the  cell  in  which  I  was  confined, 
except  once  a  month  to  the  bath-room  in  the  ward.  After  the 
expiration  of  the  five  years,  I  was  taken  out  into  the  yard  for 
an  hour  each  day.  This  continued  for  a  month,  after  which  I 
was  again  in  the  solitude  of  a  cell  for  the  space  of  two  years. 
All  this  occurred  at  the  Pentonville  and  Dartmoor  prisons. 

In  the  month  of  November,  1881,  I  was  remoA'ed  to  the 
Woking  male  prison,  twenty-two  miles  from  London,  and  con- 
fined in  a  cell  about  three  years  longer. 

Throughout  these  various  periods  of  solitary  confinement, 
I  never  saw  the  blue  sky,  the  sun,  or  the  twinkling  stars. 

During  the  last  five  years  of  my  imprisonment  my  friends 
had  been  making  untiring  efforts  to  obtain  my  release,  but  all 
petitions  to  that  end  had  been  rejected  by  the  English  govern- 
ment. It  will  be  seen  that  it  is  exceedingly  easy  to  get  into 
an  English  prison,  but  almost  impossible  to  get  out  again. 

I  had  been  incarcerated  since  March,  1873.  On  the  18th 
day  of  July,  1887,  I  heard  hasty  steps  approaching  my  cell 
door.  The  key  grated  in  the  lock — the  door  opened  —  and  a 
prison  officer,  stepping  in,  said : 

''  You  are  free !  and  I  am  going  to  London  by  next  train 
with  you!  A  dispatch  has  come  that  you  are  to  be  sent  at 
once ! " 

This  was  about  1  P.  M.  Officers  hurried  about  to  get  me 
fitted  with  a  suit  of  citizen's  clothes,  shoes,  hat,  etc.  My 
photograph  was  taken.  The  medical  officer  was  sent  for  in 
great  haste  to  examine  into  my  physical  condition.  In  about 
one  hour  I  was  on  the  railway.  Can  the  reader  imagine  my 
delight   at  this   sudden   resurrection   from   a  living  grave? 


LIBERTY  AT  LAST.  19 

More  than  fourteen  years !  Few  can  form  an  idea  of  what 
that  means.  Fancy  yourself  being  obliged  to  remain  shut  up 
in  your  own  house  until  you  had  read  the  Bible  through  three 
and  one-half  times,  at  the  rate  of  one  chapter  a  day.  It 
would  take  5,231  days.  Though  I  began  those  years  a  black- 
haired,  robust  young  man,  at  the  end  I  found  myself  a  gray- 
headed  cripple ;  yet,  on  this  first  opening  of  the  world  anew 
before  my  ravished  eyes,  how  beautiful  everything  appeared! 
Even  dull-looking  old  London  seemed  glorious.  And  the 
throngs  of  people  in  the  streets  !  I  could  not  tire  of  looking 
at  them.  I  thought  to  myself :  "  These  streets  have  been 
thronged  the  same  each  day  through  all  the  years  that  I  have 
been  in  solitude ;  the  lives  of  these  people  have  been  running 
on  in  various  phases,  while  mine  has  been  standing  still !  " 

The  English  authorities  sent  two  officers  in  citizens'  clothes 
with  me  to  Liverpool.  They  were  very  civil  and  attentive  on 
the  journey.  They  had  orders  to  make  the  trip  without 
attracting  attention.  I  was  taken  by  them  on  board  the 
steamer,  and  they  remained  on  the  wharf  until  she  was  under 
way.  The  Government  apparently  feared  that  I,  crippled  as  I 
was,  might  give  them  the  slip  and  remain  in  England,  and 
these  officers  were  obliged  to  report  that  they  saw  me  sail,  and 
to  bring  a  certificate  signed  by  the  captain  to  that  effect. 

On  the  voyage  from  Liverpool  to  Queenstown,  I  saw  a  man 
who  landed  at  the  latter  place  whom  I  believed  to  have  been 
sent  along  to  see  that  I  did  not  leave  the  steamer  there.  But 
I  was  only  too  glad  to  take  my  last  look  at  the  coast  of  Ire- 
land, and  to  see  the  good  steamship  Wisconsin  in  the  broad 
Atlantic  with  her  prow  turned  toward  the  loved  land  of  my 
nativity,  so  often  visited  in  dreams  through  all  my  years  of 
desolation. 

Capt.  Bently  was  the  only  one  on  the  steamer  who  was 
informed  of  my  history,  and  I  think  he  kept  the  secret.  When 
I  arrived  on  board,  the  warder  gave  me  the  first  saloon  ticket 
which  my  friends  had  purchased  and  given  to  the  English 
authorities.     This  was  taken  under  a  false  name,  as  it  was  not 


20  POETRY  IN  MID-OCEAN. 

desired  that  my  release  should  become  known  to  the  public. 
It  was  done  without  my  own  wishes  having  been  consulted  on 
the  subject.  This  proceeding  placed  me  in  a  false  position, 
and  for  some  time  I  did  not  feel  like  joining  with  the  other 
passengers  in  the  various  plans  for  wiiiling  away  the  time  at 
sea.  For  the  time  of  year  the  voyage  was  a  very  rough  one, 
and  we  were  greatly  delayed  by  fogs,  so  much  so  that  the  fog- 
horn w\as  going  most  of  the  time  for  four  or  five  days.  The 
waves  washed  the  length  of  the  deck,  and  at  times  poured 
down  upon  the  steerage  passengers.  On  such  occasions  the 
women  and  children  would  scream  with  terror,  believing  that 
the  ship  was  going  down. 

I  passed  most  of  my  time  during  the  voyage  in  writing 
out  from  memory  some  thousands  of  lines  of  verses  wdiich  I 
composed  in  Woking  prison.  The  nature  of  my  occupation 
had  been  observed,  and  on  the  occasion  of  an  evening  concert 
got  up  among  the  saloon  passengers,  I  was  asked  to  compose 
some  verses  for  the  occasion.  This  request  resulted  in  the 
production  of  the  "  Steamer  Wisconsin  Squibs ",  the  same 
being  received  with  unexpected  favor  by  the  good-natured 
audience.  At  a  subsequent  entertainment  I  was  again  called 
upon  to  take  a  part.  I  had  sent  the  committee  several  pieces 
to  select  from,  and  they  put  me  down  for  three  recitations. 
I  recited  "  The  Sleigh-Ride  "  and  "  King  Alcohol  ",  both  selec- 
tions from  poems  composed  b}^  me  at  Woking,  which  were 
vehemently  applauded.  Passengers  at  sea  are  very  easily 
pleased. 

Upon  my  arrival  in  New  York,  August  4,  1887,  I  found 

the  question  was  being  considered  whether  so  dangerous  a 

man  should  be  permitted  to  land  on  his  native  soil.     The 

.  conclusion  appears  to  have  been  that,  if  I  once  set  foot  on 

„  shore,  I  could  make  a  fight  of  it  to  prevent  expulsion  and 

exile. 

I  was  arrested  on  board  the  steamer  at  the  Guion  line 
wharf  as  I  was  about  to  land,  in  the  presence  of  my  wife,  son, 
and  sister.     The  two  former  had  journeyed  from  New  Eng- 


ILLEGAL  ARREST  IN  NEW   YORK.  21 

land  to  meet  me ;  the  latter  had  accompanied  me  on  the  voy- 
age from  Liverpool.  The  officers  had  no  warrant  for  my 
arrest,  but  had  been  ordered  to  bring  me  to  the  police  head- 
quarters on  Mott  street.  They  performed  their  duty  with  as 
much  consideration  as  the  nature  of  the  case  permitted. 
They  assured  my  wife  that  I  should  not  be  long  detained. 
But  their  protestations  gave  her  no  confidence.  While  wait- 
ing for  the  steamer,  she  had  read  the  articles  published  in 
the  papers  previous  to  my  arrival,  and  declared  they  would 
never  let  me  go  free  again.  She  believed  that  as  soon  as 
it  became  known  that  I  was  released,  the  commotion  already 
excited  by  the  papers  would  create  such  a  feeling  against  me 
that  I  would  be  again  placed  in  confinement.  It  was  in  vain 
that  I  assured  her  that  I  had  expiated  my  crime  and  paid 
most  dearly  for  my  Avrong-doings  —  that  I  was,  according  to 
the  law,  a  free  man,  and  that  no  one  had  a  right  to  molest 
me.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  depict  the  disappointment 
and  anguish  of  that  faithful,  long-suffering  wife,  who,  after  a 
separation  of  nearly  twenty  years,  believed  it  Avas  to  be  in- 
definitely continued. 

My  wife,  sister,  and  son  accompanied  me  to  the  police 
headquarters  and  stood  bravely  by  me.  On  our  arrival  there 
the  sergeant  in  charge  said  to  them,  "You  can  all  go  now,  we 
are  going  to  keep  him  here  until  to-morrow."  They  refused 
to  leave  me ;  but  at  last  being  assured  they  would  be  permit- 
ted to  see  me  at  4  p.  m.  (it  being  then  noon),  they  reluctantly 
departed. 

About  2  o'clock  I  was  taken  into  a  brougham  by  two  detect- 
ives, driven  to  a  back  entrance  of  the  Jefferson  Market  Police 
Court,  and  taken  through  into  a  private  room.  In  a  few 
moments  Justice  Duffy  came  in  from  the  public  court-room 
where  he  had  been  holding  examinations,  and  promptly 
interrogated  the  officers  as  to  the  cause  of  my  arrest.  Upon 
discovering  that  there  were  no  charges  against  me,  except  that 
I  was  considered  too  dangerous  a  man  to  be  left  at  large,  the 
judge  spoke  substantially  as  follows  : 


22  ^  RIGHTEOUS  JUDGE. 

"  That  is  no  ground  or  reason  whatever  for  depriving  a  man 
of  his  liberty ;  it  is  known  that  the  prisoner  committed  a 
crime  in  a  foreign  country,  and  has  paid  the  penalty  by  more 
than  fourteen  years'  imprisonment.  It  would  be  against 
every  principle  of  justice  to  interfere  with  him,  so  long  as  he 
conducts  himself  like  a  good  citizen.  A  man  may  have  com- 
mitted a  crime,  and  while  suffering  punishment  determine  to 
lead  an  honest  life  in  the  future.  How  unjust,  then,  as  soon  as 
he  is  free,  to  arrest  him  as  a  suspicious  character.  Instead  of 
encouraging  a  man  to  lead  an  honest  life,  such  a  course  as 
has  been  taken  in  this  case  is  the  sure  way  to  drive  him  back 
into  crime.  It  is  bad  policy,  and  I  trust  no  similar  case  will 
occur  again. 

"  For  these  reasons,  I  order  that  Bidwell  be  forthwith  dis- 
charged from  custody,  and  be  allowed  a  fair  opportunity  to 
take  a  fresh  start  in  life !  " 

What  a  friend  I  had  in  that  righteous  judge ! 

I  was  obliged  to  return  to  police  headquarters  to  await  the 
arrival  of  my  friends,  as  I  did  not  know  at  what  hotel  they 
were  staying.  At  the  appointed  time  they  came,  and  I  was 
at  last  reunited  with  my  family,  from  whom  I  had  been  sepa- 
rated so  many  years. 

The  following  editorial  article,  which  appeared  in  the  "  New 
York  Herald  "  of  August  4,  1887,  will  serve  to  show  in  what 
manner  my  arrest  was  regarded  by  unprejudiced,  influential 
journals : 

AN  OUTRAGE. 

The  arrest  of  George  Bidwell  on  his  arrival  at  this  port  yester- 
day, by  two  detectives,  as  related  in  another  column,  was  a  gross 
outrage. 

He  was  charged  with  no  offense,  and,  as  far  as  appears,  sus- 
pected of  none.  There  was  no  legal  ground  for  his  arrest,  which 
was  made  without  lawful  warrant  or  authority.  The  man  is  an 
ex-convict  just  released  from  a  British  prison,  where  he  has  served 
a  long  term  of  confinement  for  forgery.  That  is  no  excuse  for  his 
arrest  here. 


THE  ''INSTANTANEOUS  PROCESS''    UNCALLED  FOE.  23 

The  only  explanation  of  their  action  the  detectives  had  to  offer 
in  the  police  court  where  they  took  their  victim,  was  that  they 
''  wished  to  show  him  to  the  members  of  the  force  so  that  they 
would  know  him  in  the  future  if  he  attempted  any  *  crooked '  opera- 
tions." Justice  Duffy  quickly  saw  that  the  prisoner  was  illegally 
held,  and  at  once  discharged  him.  But  he  should  not  have  let 
the  detectives  off  without  a  scathing  reprimand  that  would  serve  as 
a  salutary  warning  to  like  offenders  in  the  future. 

There  have  been  too  many  instances  of  high-handed  doings  of 
this  sort  on  the  part  of  detectives.  These  officers  should  be  given 
to  understand  that  arrests  are  to  be  made  in  accordance  with,  not 
in  violation  of  the  law,  and  that  even  an  ex-convict  has  rights  that 
are  to  be  respected. 

The  press  dispatches  detailing  my  return  and  illegal  arrest, 
though  containing  numerous  errors,  did  much,  however,  to 
excite  sympathy  for  me  throughout  the  country. 

While  I  was  detained  at  police  headquarters,  my  photograph 
was  taken  by  the  instantaneous  process,  without  my  knowl- 
edge. In  the  papers  the  following  day,  I  read  of  the  theft, 
and  that  the  picture  had  been  given  a  place  in  the  "  Rogues' 
Gallery."  My  photograph  had  never  before  appeared  as  a 
star  in  that  ill-omened  galaxy.  But,  after  becoming  a  thor- 
oughly repentant  man,  it  was  then  surreptitiously  obtained 
and  I  suppose  placed  there. 

The  portraits  of  myself  which  appear  among  the  illustra- 
tions in  this  volume  wilP  show  that  I  no  longer  shrink  from 
the  gaze  of  honest  people. 

I  was  discharged  from  prison  in  a  badly  crippled  condi- 
tion, and  suffering  from  great  physical  exhaustion,  the  result 
of  a  long  and  terrible  incarceration,  one  almost  unexampled 
in  modern  times.  However,  the  good  blood  and  strong  con- 
stitution which  I  had  inherited  from  a  long  line  of  pure-living 
Puritan  ancestors,  endowed  me  with  the  power  to  undergo 
sufferings  which  would  have  proved  mortal  to  the  majority  of 
men. 

The  ensuing  pages  will  contain  a  cursory  history  of  the  cir- 
cumstances which  surrounded  my  early  life  in  Michigan  — 


24 


A  DEVOTED    WIFE. 


an  account  of  my  removal  to  New  York  city  —  my  marriage 
to  the  noble  and  devoted  young  lady,  who  has  been  spared 
and  preserved  to  care  for  and  educate  our  children  through 
all  these  long  years  of  undeserved  mental  suffering,  brought 
upon  her  by  my  misconduct  —  my  connections  with  wholesale 
houses,  and  business  success  in  New  York,  and  how  I  over- 
weighted myself  in  aiding  others  —  my  temptations,  and  the 
gradual  undermining  of  my  honest  business  principles,  up  to 
and  including  a  true  account  of  the  great  forgery  on  the  Bank 
of  England,  with  the  events  that  followed,  up  to  the  present 
time. 


LEAVING    LIVERPOOL. GEORGE    BIDWELL  S    FAREWELL    TO    JOHN    BULL. 


Chapter  II. 


MY  ANCESTORS  —  MY  PARENTS  AND  THEIR  RELIGION  —  THE  UPS  AND  DOWNS  OF  A 
pioneer's  LIFE  IN  MICHIGAN  —  MY  FATHER'S  BUSINESS  FAILURES  —  I  TURN 
PEDDLER  AND  WOOD-SAWYER  TO  SUPPORT  THE  FAMILY  —  NAUTICAL  EXPERI- 
ENCES—  THE  GRAND  RAPIDS  DISASTER  —  I  GO  TO  NEW  YORK  CITY  AND  BE- 
COME  A   "drummer" — MY   UNTIMELY  MARRIAGE  —  SIGNS   AND   PORTENTS. 

POSSIBLY  some  readers  may  desire  to  know  something 
about  the  antecedents  of  my  family.  There  are  hun- 
dreds of  Bidwells  scattered  over  the  United  States,  and  it  is 
generally  believed  that  the  name  is  derived  from  Bridgewell 
(the  well  by  the  bridge). 

The  ancestors  on  my  father's  side  emigrated  from  Nor- 
folk, England,  and  were  among  the  first  who  settled  in  New 
England.  In  the  Doomsday  Book,  compiled  by  order  of  Wil- 
liam the  Conqueror,  between  1066  and  1100,  will  be  found 
a  record  of  the  family  and  the  coat  of  arms,  which  is  among 
the  most  ancient. 

Whatever  may  belong  to  hereditary  descent,  I  have  had 
one  practical  benefit  from  it,  the  sound  bodily  health  before 
referred  to. 

My  ancestors  left  England,  like  the  other  Puritans,  not 
on  account  of  poverty,  but  to  obtain  religious  freedom,  and  all 
down  through  the  generations  those  of  the  family  who  remained 
at  the  homestead  or  in  its  vicinity,  attended  the  old  Congrega- 
tional or  Puritan  Church. 

My  great-grandfather,  Capt.  Zebulon  Bidwell,  was  in  the 
Northern  Army  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  being  killed  in 
one  of  the  fights  which  preceded  the  capture  of  the  British 
General  Burgoyne,  at  Saratoga. 

(25) 


2Q  PURITANIC    WAYS. 

I  pass  along  down  to  my  father,  who,  in  1832,  married 
and  moved  to  Bloomfield,  Orleans  County,  New  York,  where 
I  was  born. 

When  my  father  was  a  very  young  man,  the  Methodists 
opened  a  small  chapel  not  far  from  the  homestead  ;  he  became 
a  convert,  forsook  the  old  family  church,  and  joined  them. 
My  mother  also  joined  them  at  about  the  same  time,  and  thus 
two  congenial  spirits  met. 

My  parents  cared  but  very  little  about  this  world,  believing 
it  but  a  place  of  preparation  for  the  next.  From  about  the 
time  their  children  could  "  toddle,"  they  were  forced  to  go  to 
church  and  sit  out  hour-long  sermons ;  and  woe  to  the  child 
that  fell  asleep.  I  could  not  have  been  four  years  old  when, 
on  one  occasion,  I  fell  asleep  and  was  instantly  taken  out  of 
church  by  my  father  and  well  spanked. 

Yet,  in  matters  not  pertaining  to  morals  and  religion,  they 
were  ever  most  loving  and  indulgent.  Sunday  was  observed 
by  them  in  the  old  Puritan  way.  We  children  must  read 
only  the  Bible,  Sunday-school  books,  Baxter's  "  Saints'  Ever- 
lasting Rest,"  or  Bunyan's  "  Pilgrim's  Progress  "  ;  and  indeed 
Sunday  was  a  "  slough  of  despond  "  to  us. 

We  were  debarred  from  playing  with  a  kitten  or  a  doll. 
A  pack  of  cards  in  the  house  would  (we  were  told)  have 
brought  down  a  judgment  from  Heaven  upon  us.  Even  the 
game  of  checkers  was  looked  upon  with  suspicion,  and  regarded 
as  a  temptation  of  the  devil. 

Dancing  was  considered  an  almost  unpardonable  sin,  and 
the  violin  an  especially  diabolical  instrument.  Everything  in 
the  way  of  amusement  was  regarded  as  time  lost  in  making 
preparations  for  eternity. 

Am  I  exaggerating  ?  I  am  only  reproducing  from  my 
memory  an  exact  picture  as  left  upon  my  mind  by  the  events 
of  those  days  ;  and  I  write  with  reverence,  only  desiring  to  let 
the  attentive  and  thoughtful  reader  judge  what  effect  such 
teaching  probably  had  upon  my  character  and  life ;  and 
whether  the  rebound  did  not  at  last  carry  me  as  far  in  the 
opposite  direction. 


FIRST   YEAR  IN   THE    WEST.  27 

I  have  endeavored  to  describe  thus  briefly  the  religious 
atmosphere  which  surrounded  me  in  childhood.  But,  had  I 
lived  up  to  the  religion  which  my  parents  believed  in  and 
taught  their  children,  I  should  never  have  been  forced  to 
undergo  so  much  disgrace,  nor  to  have  passed  so  many  dreary 
years  within  the  gloomy  walls  of  a  prison. 

In  1837  my  father  went  to  the  then  paper  village  of  Lanes- 
ville,  Mich.,  which  was  situated  about  fifty  miles  west  of  Toledo, 
Ohio ;  the  Michigan  Southern  Railroad  was  afterward  built 
between  the  latter  place  and  Chicago,  passing  through  the  vil- 
lage. It  is  now  the  thriving  town  of  Hudson.  He  there  pur- 
chased land,  and  built  a  house  and  shop  ;  then  returning  east, 
he  took  his  family  by  the  Erie  Canal  from  Medina,  N.  Y., 
to  Buffalo  ;  then  by  the  steamboat  "  Erie  "to  Toledo.  The  Erie 
was  the  first  steamboat,  I  believe,  that  ever  ploughed  the 
waters  of  Lake  Erie.  At  that  time  the  run  from  Buffalo  to 
Toledo  took  more  than  three  days ;  a  journey  which  is  now 
made  in  double  that  number  of  hours. 

During  the  first  year  after  our  arrival,  all  of  our  family  of 
six,  with  the  exception  of  myself,  were  prostrated  with  fever 
and  ague.  As  nearly  all  the  other  settlers  were  alike  afflicted, 
it  was  not  possible  to  hire  any  one  to  care  for  the  sick  or 
render  any  other  assistance ;  in  consequence  I,  a  lad  of  six 
years,  was  the  "  working  force  "  through  the  greater  part  of 
that  long  year  of  deprivation  and  misery.  It  seemed  mirac- 
ulous, under  the  circumstances,  that  any  recovered ;  but  all 
did,  except  the  youngest,  a  two-year-old  brother. 

At  the  end  of  the  year  my  father  found  himself  so  deeply 
in  debt  that  his  property  was  all  sold  for  about  one-fifth  its 
value.  Having  had  our  fill  of  Lanesville,  we  removed  to 
Adrian,  in  the  same  State,  at  that  time  a  growing  village.  We 
arrived  there  penniless,  but  my  father  soon  got  a  little  start 
and  opened  business  in  a  small  way.  After  I  was  fifteen 
years  of  age,  my  father  seemed  to  rely  entirely  upon  me. 

As  before  stated,  my  parents  were  religious  people.  Relig- 
ion was  everything  to  them,  all  worldly  affairs  comparatively 


28  THE    UNDERGROUND  RAILROAD. 

nothing.  Yet  through  all  their  lives  both  worked  very  hard, 
and  would  make  any  worldly  sacrifice  for  what,  in  their  opin- 
ion, was  for  the  benefit  of  their  children.  They  believed  it  a 
religious  duty  to  divide  their  last  crust  with  the  suffering, 
and  preferred  rather  to  make  friends  with  the  poor  and 
down-trodden  than  with  the  prosperous. 

My  father  belonged  to  the  old  abolition  party.  Adrian 
was  a  station  on  the  "  Underground  Railroad,"  ^.  e.,  the  line 
of  travel  between  the  Ohio  river  and  Canada  by  which  fugitive 
slaves  escaped,  these  being  carried  by  wagon-loads  in  the 
night  from  the  house  of  one  abolitionist  to  that  of  another, 
and  there  secreted  during  the  day. 

It  was  often  a  desperate  race  for  liberty,  or  chains  and 
death,  until  they  had  got  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  north  of 
the  Ohio  river.  In  a  village  the  wagon-load  of  fugitives 
would  be  hastily  distributed  at  the  houses  of  the  abolitionists. 
I  remember  hearing  some  of  those  secreted  at  our  house  tell 
about  their  marvelous  escapes — how  they  were  chased  by 
bloodhounds,  etc.,  before  they  reached  the  Ohio. 

My  father  seemed  to  possess  no  business  qualifications 
whatever.  He  was  honest,  simple-hearted,  and  confiding.  He 
would  no  sooner  get  a  business  established  than  some  stran- 
ger would  come  along,  worm  himself  into  his  confidence,  and 
soon  have  everything  in  his  own  hands,  leaving  my  father 
penniless.  One  of  these  recurring  events  happened  when  I 
was  nine  years  of  age ;  and  as  my  father  was  in  poor  health 
at  the  time,  I  took  to  peddling  molasses  candy  and  apples  in 
a  basket,  and  for  a  long  time  brought  in  enough  money  to 
support  the  family.  On  the  occasions  of  these  periodical 
downfalls,  neighbors  would  say  to  me :  "  Your  father  is  too 
honest  to  live  in  the  West."  It  was  not  that  he  was  too  honest, 
but  too  confiding,  and  deficient  in  worldly  wisdom.  Through 
long  years  of  solitude,  while  lying  crippled  in  a  prison  cell, 
the  thought  often  entered  my  mind  that,  had  my  parents  been 
more  worldly-wise,  my  fate  would  have  been  different. 

In  my  eleventh  year,  I  bargained  with  a  rich  man  of  the 


AN   UNFORTUNATE  DECISION.  29 

place  to  saw  four-foot  wood  twice  in  two  and  split  it,  for 
fifty  cents  a  cord.  I  was  attending  school  at  the  time,  and 
one  Saturday  I  set  to  work,  and  by  noon  had  so  huge  a  pile 
sawed  that,  when  my  employer  came  home  to  dinner,  he,  with 
his  wife  and  daughters,  looked  at  it  from  the  kitchen  door 
with  astonishment.  Soon  afterwards  this  gentleman  offered 
to  take  me  to  his  home,  give  me  an  education,  and  start  me 
in  a  business.  His  name  was  Ira  Bidwell,  a  distant  cousin. 
He  was  well  known,  especially  in  Michigan,  and  in  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  later,  as  a  merchant  and  banker.  He  was,  like  my 
parents,  a  Methodist.  His  kind  offer  was  not  accepted, 
however,  my  parents  believing  that  the  religious  training  of 
their  children  necessitated  their  presence  at  home.  I  believe 
this  was  an  unfortunate  decision  for  me. 

When  I  was  about  twelve  years  of  age,  my  father  was 
again  "  taken  in  and  done  for  "  by  a  sharper  from  Buffalo. 
Believing  there  was  an  opening  for  him  in  Toledo,  Ohio,  in 
1845  he  removed  with  the  family  from  Adrian  to  that  place. 
There  I  set  up  a  street  stall  for  the  sale  of  periodicals  and 
apples,  trashy  novels  and  candy,  lemonade  and  pocket-knives, 
small-beer  and  steel  watch-chains,  etc. 

I  succeeded  in  supporting  the  family  until  my  father  got 
into  business  again,  and  continued  in  trade  until  I  had  a 
capital  of  nearly  fifty  dollars.  With  this  I  bought  an  old 
steamboat  clinker-built  yawl,  twenty-three  feet  long,  and  had 
it  half-decked  and  fitted  out  as  a  sloop.  My  father  being  then 
in  more  comfortable  circumstances,  I  passed  my  summers  on 
the  Maumee  river,  making  occasional  excursions  into  Lake 
Erie.  I  was  so  fond  of  sailing  that  I  used  to  go  off  alone, 
and,  after  sailing  all  day,  remain  in  the  sloop  nights,  while 
she  lay  anchored  near  the  shore,  sleeping  in  the  folds  of  the 
sail. 

When  I  was  about  fifteen  I  took  my  beloved  sloop  to  a 
ship-carpenter  to  get  the  hull  sheathed  over.  The  bill  was 
about  eighteen  dollars.  I  had  invested  all  my  money  in  her, 
but  as  the  carpenter  was  an  old  friend  of  my  father,  and  had 


30  J^OSS   OF   THE    "MAYFLOWEE." 

always  treated  me  kindly,  I  had  not  a  doubt  but  that  he 
would  trust  me  for  the  repairs.  To  my  surprise  and  mortifi- 
cation he  said  I  must  pay  the  amount  at  once.  As  I  could 
not  do  so,  he  had  the  boat  sold  at  constable's  sale  without 
delay.  My  father  refused  to  interfere  or  advance  me  any- 
thing, and  so  I  lost  my  dear  old  "  Mayflower."  I  had  no  sus- 
picion at  the  time,  but  I  have  since  thought  there  was  an 
arrangement  between  my  father  and  the  carpenter  to  get 
the  boat  away  from  me,  and  thus  turn  my  energies  in  another 
direction. 

Soon  after  this  event  a  New  Orleans  boarding-house  and 
hotel  ''beat"  ingratiated  himself  into  my  father's  confidence 
and  soon  became  his  right-hand  man.  It  was  not  long  before 
my  father  was  again  moneyless  and  out  of  business. 

I  had  by  this  time  picked  up  some  knowledge  of  candy- 
making,  and  we  heard  there  was  a  good  opening  for  the  busi- 
ness at  Grand  Rapids.  The  last  "ruin"  had  left  us  with  but 
a  single  horse  and  wagon.  My  father  borrowed  a  little  money, 
and  in  December,  1849,  he  and  I  left  Toledo  for  Grand  Rap- 
ids. As  the  country  was  deeply  covered  with  snow,  and  the 
roads  but  little  traveled,  and  only  by  sleighs,  the  track  being 
too  narrow  for  our  wagon,  it  was  hard  dragging  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles.  However,  we  arrived  at  Grand  Rapids  a  day 
or  two  before  Christmas,  rented  a  small  shop,  and  by  working 
day  and  night,  we  made  up  a  stock  of  sugar  toys.  We  had 
brought  with  us  a  small  stove  and  the  moulds  in  which  to 
cast  the  toys.  On  Christmas  day  we  had  sold  a  quantity, 
which  left  us  a  profit  of  thirty  dollars,  quite  a  little  fortune 
in  our  pockets.  Our  next  step  was  to  sell  the  horse  and 
wagon  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

We  then  rented  a  larger  store,  and  in  five  years  from  our 
humble  start  we  were  doing  a  large  business  in  confectionery, 
fancy  goods,  and  jewelry.  The  business  devolved  on  me 
alone,  my  father  deferring  everything  to  me  because  of  his 
belief  in  my  superior  judgment  in  business  matters. 

All  others  with  whom  I  came  in  contact  seemed  to  place 


PROSPERITY.  31 

a  like  confidence  in  me,  and  I  began  to  consider  myself  capa- 
ble of  conducting  a  much  larger  business  enterprise.  It  may 
be  that  this  conceit  and  overestimation  of  my  abilities  puffed 
me  up  considerably.  It  needed  but  a  little  imagination  to 
picture  to  myself  a  near  future  in  which  I  should  become  a 
rich  merchant.  Up  to  our  arrival  at  Grand  Rapids  in  1849, 
every  enterprise  of  my  father's  had  resulted  disastrously. 
Now  that  i  was  at  the  helm,  everything  certainly  prospered ; 
home  comforts  increased ;  better  educational  advantages  for 
the  j^ounger  brothers  and  sisters  were  enjoyed. 

I  was  highly  respected  by  those  members  of  the  commu- 
nity whose  good  opinion  was  worth  having ;  all  of  whom  had 
unbounded  confidence  in  my  integrity  and  business  capacity. 
I  was  observant,  anxious  for  improvement,  quick  to  grasp  at 
new  ideas,  and  to  ascertain  what  was  in  them  that  might  aid 
me  to  reach  the  "  El  Dorado  "  of  which  I  had  dreamed,  since, 
when  in  my  ninth  year,  I  began  to  sell  apples  and  candy  in  a 
basket.  The  reader  may  smile  to  learn  that  at  this  time  I  was 
but  sixteen  years  of  age,  although  I  looked  much  older.  At 
eighteen  I  sported  a  beard  and  moustache.  Like  most  boys, 
I  was  anxious  to  appear  older  than  I  really  was,  and  the 
sturdy  frame  with  which  Nature  had  favored  me  helped  out 
the  innocent  deception. 

Our  business  steadily  increased,  and  in  course  of  three 
years  our  credit  became  so  well  established  with  the  mer- 
chants of  New  York,  and  other  trade-centers,  that  we  could 
get  all  the  goods  required.  We  now  began  to  run  wagons  to 
supply  goods  to  the  dealers  within  a  circuit  of  one  hundred 
miles.  Although  this  system  worked  successfully  in  more 
populous  localities  where  the  roads  were  good,  it  proved  a 
failure  in  the  newlj^-settled  State  of  Michigan.  The  towns 
and  villages  were  widely  scattered,  and  sparsely  populated, 
the  roads  almost  impassable ;  and  the  wear  and  tear  of  horses 
and  wagons,  with  occasional  damage  to  goods,  was  to  us  ap- 
palling. With  no  knowledge  of  business  save  what  I  had 
"picked   up,"  I   could  not  understand  the  necessity  of   an 


32  RESULT  OF  ''LEGAL  ADVICE  J* 

annual  inventory,  and  had  no  means  of  judging  what  our  prof- 
its were,  except  by  the  ease  with  which  money  came  in  to 
meet  our  bills. 

After  having  run  the  trade-wagons  a  long  time,  money 
matters  appeared  to  tighten  up  with  us,  and  it  became  more 
and  more  diUficult  to  make  payments.  I  began  to  investigate, 
and,  to  my  dismay,  discovered  that  our  assets  scarcely  equaled 
our  indebtedness.  If  at  this  juncture  I  had  consulted  with  an 
experienced  business  man,  instead  of  relying  upon  my  own 
immature  judgment,  I  should  have  learned  that  an  established 
business  with  good  credit  is  in  itself  a  capital  for  a  young 
man  of  energy.  To  stop  the  trade-wagons  would  have  been 
to  me  a  great  mortification.  But  that  is  exactly  what  an 
older  head  would  have  advised ;  and,  as  the  rest  of  the  busi- 
ness was  profitable,  it  is  likely  I  should  have  remained  in 
Grand  Rapids  to  this  day.  My  parents  had  no  suggestions  to 
offer,  as  they  were,  like  myself,  quite  overwhelmed  by  the 
result  of  our  six  years'  energetic  work.  I  consulted  with  a 
lawyer,  who  had  lately  opened  an  office  next  door,  but  as  yet 
having  no  practice.  When  I  explained  the  state  of  affairs  he 
evidently  saw  that  his  opportunity  had  come,  and  he  made 
the  most  of  it.  He  advised  me  to  put  all  the  property  into  the 
hands  of  an  assignee,  the  same  to  be  sold  and  divided  as  fol- 
lows :  those  creditors  who  had  shown  me  some  attention  when 
I  had  visited  their  places  of  business  were  put  in  the  first 
class,  to  be  paid  in  full  out  of  the  assets.  The  second  class 
was  composed  of  those  who  had  favored  me  less.  These 
came  in  next  if  enough  were  left  to  pay  them.  Under  such 
an  iniquitous  arrangement  the  third  class  could  of  course 
receive  nothing.  Experienced  readers  need  not  be  told  the 
result  of  such  an  assignment.  As  my  lawyer  doubtless 
expected,  the  second  and  third  classes  of  creditors  began  law 
proceedings  to  break  the  assignment  and  get  all  the  creditors 
put  on  an  equal  footing.  As  a  matter  of  course  the  lawyers 
got  all  that  the  creditors  did  not.  My  lawyer  skillfully 
arranged  about  two  years'  practice  for  himself,  which  estab- 


SUSTAINED   BY  FAITH.  33 

lished  his  position  at  the  bar,  and  he  is  to-day  one  of  the 
wealthiest  lawyers  in  the  State  of  Michigan. 

That  assignment  invented  by  the  lawyer  has  unquestion- 
ably affected  my  whole  life.  Ever  afterwards,  when  trying  to 
get  into  business,  I  was  haunted  by  the  idea  that  some  claim 
would  be  brought  forward  before  I  was  able  to  pay  it.  At  the 
time  of  the  assignment,  I  had  given  up  some  valuable  real 
estate,  my  own  private  property,  also  my  gold  watch  and 
chain,  to  pay  firm  debts.  I  have  gone  into  this  matter  some- 
what in  detail  because  there  are  many  persons  still  living  who, 
doubtless,  believe  I  acted  dishonestly.  I  look  back  to  this 
assignment  as  the  direct  starting-point  of  all  my  misfortunes. 

My  parents  also  gave  up  every  thing,  leaving  themselves 
and  children  destitute.  Amid  all,  my  parents  never  lost  one 
tittle  of  their  faith  in  God's  providence.  In  fact,  despite  the 
many  adverse  instances  in  which  the  answers  to  their  prayers 
appeared  to  "  go  by  contraries,"  I  always  had  a  latent,  deeply- 
rooted  conviction  that  because  of  their  prayers  nothing  very 
bad  would  ever  happen  to  me,  and  this  belief  became  consola- 
tory after  I  began  to  grow  ''  crooked ".  Many  times  when 
lying  in  the  cell  of  a  foreign  prison,  undergoing  dreadful  and 
long-continued  tortures,  I  would  say  to  myself :  ''  0,  would  that 
I  could  believe  all  that  my  parents  did,  and  possess  the  same 
faith  and  confidence  in  God  !  I  should  be  happy  even  here." 
Well,  they  are  gone ;  and  if  they  are  not  now  enjoying  such  a 
state  of  everlasting  bliss  as  they  anticipated,  they  richly 
deserve  it.  Through  all  the  years  of  my  incarceration  it  has 
been  a  great  consolation  to  feel  that,  as  long  as  they  lived,  I 
did  all  in  my  power  to  assist  them,  as  well  as  my  younger 
brothers  and  sisters. 

After  I  had  turned  over  all  the  property  into  the  hands  of 
the  assignee,  I  left  for  New  York  city,  determined  to  seek  my 
fortune  in  a  place  where  so  many  others  had  acquired  theirs. 
I  felt  that  I  possessed  energy,  perseverance,  and  physical 
capacity  to  undergo  more  hardships  and  to  accomplish  more 
work  than  most  young  men.  Besides  this,  I  was  strictly  tem- 
3 


34  ^   TRUE  FRIEND. 

perate,  and  not  addicted  to  any  of  the  vices  so  common  in 
large  cities.  In  my  various  trips  to  New  York  and  other  cities 
for  the  purchase  of  goods,  I  had  learned  that  the  theaters  and 
bar-rooms  were  well  patronized  each  evening  by  young  busi- 
ness men.  I  had  also  been  told  that  many  were  addicted  to 
gambling  and  other  vices.  I  thought  to  myself :  "  If  such 
young  men  give  satisfaction  to  their  employers  and  get  on  in 
New  York,  w^hy  cannot  I?"  At  this  time  I  was  23  years'of 
age.  I  felt  that  I  ought  to  succeed.  When  I  turned  over  my 
own  real  estate,  I  received  $300  of  its  value,  which  enabled 
me  to  go  to  New  York. 

On  my  arrival  in  that  city  I  purchased  sugar  and  shipped 
it  to  a  younger  brother  in  Grand  Rapids,  to  enable  him  to 
carry  on  the  manufacture  of  confectionery,  and  thus  support 
the  family  while  I  was  getting  into  business.  Before  he  had 
got  fairly  started,  the  creditors  of  my  father  and  myself 
attached  the  sugar  for  our  debts,  and  he  was  forced  to  submit 
to  the  loss,  which  broke  up  his  business. 

Thus,  the  family  were  left  destitute  in  Grand  Rapids,  and 
I  was  in  New  York,  without  employment.  I  rented  a  small 
room  in  Greenwich  Street,  and  eked  out  my  money  at  the 
cheapest  eating-houses,  seldom  spending  more  than  twent}^  or 
twenty-five  cents  a  day  for  food.  Day  after  day  I  went  from 
one  wholesale  house  to  another,  applying  for  a  situation  of 
some  kind,  but  in  vain.  My  money  began  to  run  low,  and  I 
lived  on  ten  or  fifteen  cents  a  day. 

About  this  time  I  made  myself  known  to  Mr.  J.  Milton 
Smith,  Secretary  of  the  Home  Fire  Insurance  Company.  I 
had  met  this  gentleman  when  on  a  visit  in  New  England. 
He  proved  a  true  friend  to  me  as  long  as  I  remained  in  New 
York.  If  all  merchants  and  business  men  who  are  rich  and 
prosperous  would  treat  young  men,  especially  those  just  from 
the  country,  as  this  gentleman  and  his  excellent  wife  did  me, 
fewer  of  them  would  get  among  bad  associates  and  be  led  to 
ruin.  Mr.  Smith  invited  me  to  his  home  in  Brooklyn,  and 
his  hospitable  wife  insisted  that  I  must  dine  with  them.     I 


ON   THE   ROAD.  35 

had  eaten  only  a  ten-cent  breakfast  that  day,  and  they  must 
have  been  astonished  at  the  quantity  of  food  which  disap- 
peared. However,  I  suspect  those  benevolent,  noble-hearted 
souls  understood  the  situation,  and  afterward  I  had  frequent 
invitations  to  their  house.  Mr.  Smith  exerted  himself  to  find 
an  opening  for  me,  and  at  last  succeeded  in  getting  me  a 

position  in  the  wdiolesale  grocery  house  of  C 0 &  Co. 

I  knew  nothing  about  the  business,  but  very  soon  I  was 
directed  by  the  firm  to  make  a  trip  to  New  London,  Norwich, 
Willimantic,  Hartford,  and  New  Haven,  all  in  my  ancestral 
State.  As  the  grocery  men  in  those  places  were  all  strangers 
to  me,  on  my  first  round  I  only  introduced  myself  and  left 
my  card.  Three  weeks  later  I  made  the  trip  again,  and 
found  that  all  remembered  me.  This  time  I  received  several 
orders.  I  now  went  around  regularly  once  a  month,  and  the 
number  of  my  customers  and  the  amount  of  orders  constantly 
increased.  The  orders  by  mail  also  increased.  Every  dealer 
who  gave  me  an  order  became  a  regular  customer.     In  1857 

the  firm  of  C 0 &  Co.  failed ;  and  as  the  business 

was  wound  up,  I  had  to  transfer  myself  and  customers  to 
another  house.  By  this  time  I  had  the  control  of  consider- 
able trade,  and  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  into  the  wholesale 
grocery  house  of  Messrs.   B &  H . 

Upon  leaving  Grand  Rapids,  I  had  arranged  with  my 
parents  that  they  should  remain  there  with  their  other  child- 
ren until  I  had  pushed  my  way  into  a  position  whereby  I  could 
support  them.  But  they  were  induced  to  remove  to  the  village 
of  Muskegon,  to  assist  in  organizing  a  new  society  of  Metho- 
dists, and  build  a  church. 

Muskegon  is  now  a  very  pleasant  city  of  about  30,000 
inhabitants,  and  one  of  the  lumber  emporiums  of  this  conti- 
nent. In  1857,  it  was  a  village  of  wooden  huts,  cabins,  and 
small  houses,  inhabited  principally  by  lumbermen  and  those 
"  tough  and  rough  "  characters  usually  found  on  the  outskirts 
of  civilization.  Whisky-selling,  gambling,  dog-fighting,  and 
more  brutal  animal  bipeds  bruising  each  other,  was  the  order 


35  MARRIAGE. 

of  the  day.  On  hearing  about  their  removal,  I  was  much 
troubled,  but  at  the  time  it  was  out  of  my  power  to  do  any- 
thing. They  were  not  long  there  before  they  found  out  their 
mistake.  In  order  to  live,  they  opened  a  hotel ;  some  of  their 
customers  would  come  and  stay  a  few  days,  and  when  my 
father  asked  them  to  pay  up  they  would  invite  him  out  into 
the  street  to  fight.  Evidently  they  were  used  to  fighting 
landlords,  but  I  do  not  think  my  father  ever  had  even  an 
angry  dispute  in  his  life.  The  account  that  reached  me  of 
the  state  of  affairs  hastened  my  determination  to  get  them 
out  of  the  place,  and  I  could  think  of  but  one  way,  which  was 
to  bring  them  on  to  New  York.  This  was  a  very  rash  under- 
taking for  a  young  man  not  yet  receiving  more  than  six 
hundred  dollars  a  year.  But  I  had  a  fatal  confidence  in  my 
own  powers  to  carry  any  burden.  Besides,  I  expected  to  get 
my  father  a  situation  of  some  kind,  and  my  young  brother, 
then  a  lad  of  twelve,  into  an  office.  I  sent  for  the  family, 
and  at  the  same  time  hired  part  of  a  house  in  South  Brooklyn. 
They  came,  and  affairs  ran  smoothly  for  some  months. 

My  income  rapidly  increased.     In  1858,  I  transferred  my 

business  to  the  house  of  J H &  Co.     I  had  hitherto 

been  working  on  a  percentage  ;  I  was  now  on  a  regular  salary, 
with  the  promise  of  twelve  hundred  after  October  1st.  On  the* 
strength  of  this  expectation,  I  married  a  young  lady  with  whom 
I  had  made  acquaintance  while  visiting  the  old  homestead  in 
Connecticut.  The  remarkable  prudence  she  has  shown  in  all 
affairs  of  her  life  —  her  success  in  bringing  up  our  children 
through  all  the  years  of  separation  —  and  her  adherence  to  me 
under  circumstances  which  would  have  irrevocably  estranged 
most  women — prove  that  I  made  a  good  choice,  if  she  did  not. 
Her  age  at  that  time  was  seventeen  and  mine  twenty-six. 
I  was  already  supporting  nine  persons  besides  myself,  and 
though  sanguine  of  success  in  business,  I  felt  almost  afraid  to 
assume  another  responsibility.  But  I  was  deeply  in  love,  and 
I  feared  that  by  delay  I  might  lose  the  dear  object  of  my 


SIGNS  AND  PORTENTS.  37 

affections.     Therefore,  I  rashly  cast  all  prudential  considera- 
tions to  the  winds,  a  customary  proceeding  among  lovers. 

I  have  never  been  a  believer  in  signs  and  omens,  but  on 
my  voyage  from  Rio  Janeiro  to  Marseilles,  just  previous  to  the 
great  catastrophe  of  my  life,  I  lost  a  valuable  diamond  ring 
overboard.  Thirty  years  since  I  gave  the  young  lady  who  is 
now  my  wife  an  engagement  ring  with  an  opal  setting. 
Owing  to  a  family  affliction,  she  was  married  in  black.  While 
in  an  English  prison,  I  read  in  one  of  the  library  books  that 
each  one  of  the  incidents  referred  to  was  ominous  of 
misfortune. 


Chapter  III, 


OVERWEIGHTED  AT  THE  OUTSET  —  A  STRUGGLE  TO  SUPPORT  DEPENDENT  ONES  — 
MY  FIRST  DISHONEST  ACT  —  THE  "  PATENT  GLOBE  COFFEE-ROASTER  " — ARREST 
ON  CHARGE  OF  EMBEZZLEMENT  —  EXAMINATION  AT  THE  TOMBS  POLICE  COURT, 
AND  DISCHARGE  BY  "  BIG  "  JUSTICE  CONNELLY — THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  CRIME 
—  TWENTY  MINUTES   OUT   OF   PRISON — A   SUICIDAL  RETROSPECT. 

AFTER  my  marriage  I  took  still  more  active  measures  to 
help  some  members  of  the  family  into  a  position  where 
they  might  be  able  to  earn  something  towards  the  general 
support.  A  man  of  some  ifieans  went  into  the  confectionery 
business  with  my  brother,  but  the  copartnership  soon  resulted 
in  a  failure.  This  enterprise,  instead  of  easing  my  financial 
burdens,  only  increased  them.  During  this  time  I  was  hard 
pushed  for  means  to  pay  rent  and  supply  food  for  those 
dependent  on  me.  As  my  account  with  my  employers  was 
kept  balanced  or  slightly  overdrawn,  on  one  occasion,  after 
returning  from  a  trip,  I  purposely  withheld  fifteen  dollars 
from  my  collections.  Goods  were  sold  on  thirty  days'  credit, 
any  dealer  in  good  standing  being  allowed  that  time.  On  my 
trips  it  would  frequently  happen  that  I  collected  the  money 
for  goods  which  had  perhaps  been  purchased  only  a  week 
instead  of  a  month.  It  was  one  of  these  advance  payments 
that  tempted  me  to  retain  the  amount  before  mentioned,  as  a 
temporary  relief  for  pressing  necessities. 

Previously,  when  on  my  trips,  in  case  I  made  use  of  any 
portion  of  the  money  collected,  for  special  expenses,  I  always 
had  the  deficiency  charged  to  my  account,  and  this  had  been 
satisfactory  to  the  firm.  I  argued  to  myself  thus :  "  My 
brother  is  now  in  business,  will  no  longer  need  my  assistance, 

(38) 


THE   DEFICIENCY  INCREASED.  39 

and  if  I  overdraw  my  account,  it  will  place  me  in  a  bad  posi- 
tion with  the  firm.  This  money  is  not  due  for  three  weeks 
yet,  and  the  firm  will  not  look  for  it  before.  I  am  really 
doing  them  no  harm  if  I  pay  it  over  when  due.  My  expenses 
being  reduced,  I  will  be  in  condition  to  do  so,  and  will  be 
careful  not  to  get  myself  into  such  a  predicament  again." 

I  was  ashamed  to  tell  my  bride  of  three  months  that  I 
had  not  money  to  purchase  food  for  her.  Had  I  frankly 
explained  to  her  exactly  how  matters  stood,  all  would  have 
been  well. 

As  previously  stated,  my  brother  did  not  succeed  in  his 
business,  and  instead  of  replacing  the  fifteen  dollars  at  the 
end  of  the  month,  I  felt  obliged  to  increase  the  deficiency. 
As  the  firm  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  my  integrity,  no 
inquiry  was  ever  made  into  the  accounts  of  my  customers. 
Therefore,  although  during  the  next  few  months  the  deficiency 
gradually  increased  until  it  reached  the  sum  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars,  no  discovery  was  made.  Through  all  this 
time  my  mind  was  filled  with  apprehensions  of  exposure,  and 
1  made  desperate  efforts  to  extricate  myself  from  the  gulf 
into  which  I  was  slowly  but  surely  sinking. 

My  position  was  becoming  unbearable,  and  I  looked  about 
for  some  honest  means  to  raise  money  to  make  good  the 
amount  I  had  embezzled.  One  day  a  man  whom  I  had  known 
at  Grand  Rapids  came  into  my  place  of  business  and  showed 
me  a  "  Patent  Globe  Coffee-Roaster,"  of  which  he  owned  one- 
half  the  patent-right.  He  said  he  had  come  from  the  West 
to  sell  the  right,  but  had  not  yet  been  able  to  do  so.  He  was 
no  business  man,  and  I  saw  at  once  it  was  a  thing  I  could 
sell,  and  told  him  so.  He  eagerly  accepted  an  offer  which  I 
made,  and  I  at  once  had  a  cut  engraved  and  some  Ijills 
printed.  I  also  took  the  sample  coffee-roaster  to  the  whole- 
sale hardware  houses,  and  in  a  short  time  had  orders  for 
several  gross. 

Soon  after  I  met  Mr.  Wilcox,  of  Roys,  Wilcox  <fe  Co.,  Ber- 
lin, Conn.     He  saw  there  v\'as  money  in  the  roaster,  and  I  sold 


4Q  TEN  DOLLARS  HEARD  FROM. 

him  the  half  right  for  one  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 
The  owner  was  greatly  pleased  at  the  price,  and  gave  me  the 
two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  I  required  to  square  matters 
with  my  firm.  This  I  did  at  once,  and  found  that  the  defi- 
ciency had  not  been  suspected. 

Now,  for  the  first  time  in  several  months,  I  breathed 
freely,  and  felt  that  the  state  prison  was  no  longer  staring 
me  in  the  face.  If,  at  any  time  throughout  those  months  of 
trouble,  1  had  applied  to  any  one  of  several  friends  for  advice, 
explaining  my  position,  I  should  have  been  at  once  relieved, 
and  the  calamities  which  followed  would  no  doubt  have  been 
averted.  But  at  that  period  of  my  life  I  could  not  bring 
myself  to  confess  to  any  one  that  I  had  committed  a  dishonest 
act. 

While  engaged  with  the  coiTee-roaster,  I  had  neglected,  a 
good  deal,  my  grocery  business,  and  had  gone  to  the  store  as 
seldom  as  possible.  As  soon  as  I  had  made  all  square,  I  gave 
up  the  place,  preferring  to  abandon  it  and  make  a  new  start 
in  life,  rather  than  remain  there  with  the  risk  that  what  I 
had  done  should  accidentally  be  discovered  —  of  course  a 
wrong  decision. 

Mr.  Wilcox,  who  had  purchased  the  coffee-roaster,  gave 
me  temporary  employment  in  the  house  of  his  agents  in  New 
York.  Shortly  after,  I  received  a  letter  from  one  of  my  cus- 
tomers, stating  that  the  firm  had  dunned  him  for  ten  dollars 
that  he  had  paid  me,  and  for  which  he  held  my  receipt.  I 
could  not  recall  the  circumstance,  but  suppose  it  happened  in 
this  way  :  On  my  rounds,  the  train  from  Norwich  to  Hartford 
stopped  ten  minutes  at  Willimantic.  I  had  two  customers 
there,  whose  places  of  business  were  located  opposite  the 
depot.  When  the  train  arrived  it  was  my  usual  plan  to  run 
across,  take  the  orders,  give  a  hastily-scrawled  receipt  for  any 
money  paid,  and  then  rush  for  the  train ;  in  the  car  I  would 
look  over  the  collections,  and  enter  the  particulars  in  my 
memorandum-book.  I  must  have  neglected  to  do  this  with 
the  ten  dollars — if  that  was  the  exact  amount  of  the  account 


ARRESTED,  41 

paid  —  or  if,  as  is  more  probable,  the  amount  was  several 
hundred,  I  had  accidentally  entered  it  ten  dollars  less. 

When  I  received  the  letter  from  Willimantic,  mj  father 
happened  to  be  in  my  place  of  business ;  I  at  once  gave  him 
ten  dollars,  with  which  he  went  to  my  old  grocery  house,  to 
adjust  the  discrepancy.  But  Mr.  H.  had  also  received  a  letter 
from  Willimantic,  informing  him  that  the  ten  dollars  had 
been  paid  to  me.  This  fact  caused  him  to  suspect  that  other 
sums  might  have  been  retained  by  me  in  the  same  way ;  he 
therefore  refused  to  receive  the  ten  dollars,  and  stated  his 
suspicions  to  my  father,  who  stoutly  maintained  that  he  knew 
me  too  well,  and  that  such  a  thing  was  not  among  the  possi- 
bilities. Poor,  mistaken  old  father !  To  the  day  of  his  death, 
he  never  had  the  least  idea  of  my  struggles,  deceptions,  and 
(I  may  as  well  call  things  by  their  right  names)  crimes, 
throughout  the  previous  months. 

A  day  or  two  later  a  constable  arrested  me  on  the  charge 
of  defalcation.  Mr.  D.,  the  head  of  the  firm,  immediately 
said  to  me,  "  In  case  you  are  held  and  want  bail,  send  for  me 
at  once."  I  thanked  him,  and  accompanied  the  constable  to 
the  Tombs  police  court-room.  1  was  taken  into  a  private  room, 
where,  a  few  moments  later.  Justice  Connelly  came  and  began 
an  examination  into  the  charge.     The  prosecutors,  Messrs. 

J ,  H (fc  Co.,  my  former  employers,  were  not  present, 

but  were  represented  by  an  attorney.  I  related  to  the  justice 
the  circumstances  which  must  have  caused  me  to  make  the 
oversight  —  for  it  was  an  oversight.  The  lawyer  had  nothing 
to  say  against  me,  except  that  the  ten  dollars  was  unpaid.  I 
explained  to  the  justice  that  I  had  tendered  payment,  and  as 
the  lawyer  could  not  dispute  the  fact,  I  was  discharged. 

In  the  course  of  the  examination,  no  allusion  was  made  to 
any  previous  deficiencies ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  this  affair 
caused  the  firm  to  make  a  comparison  of  dates  on  which  I 
received  money,  as  per  my  receipts,  with  those  on  which 
I  paid  it  in,  as  shown  by  their  books.  Happily,  I  had  paid 
all  of  it  in  before  any  discovery  was  made. 


42  CRIMINAL  PHILOSOPHY. 

The  head  of  the  house  where  I  was  at  the  time  employed, 
surprised  that  I  should  be  arrested  by  my  former  employers, 
held  a  consultation  with  them,  and  then  discharged  me. 

Thus,  I  very  soon  began  to  reap  the  fruit  of  my  first  dis- 
honest acts. 

This  book  will  doubtless  be  read  by  some  who  are  ''  in  the 
same  boat."  Both  in  and  out  of  prison  a  great  number  of 
similar  cases  have  come  under  my  observation ;  though  the 
defalcations  usually  originated  from  contact  with  vile  asso- 
ciates, fast  living,  or  by  "  putting  on  style  "  out  of  proportion 
to  the  income. 

As  a  rule,  young  people  will  not  listen  to  the  warning 
advice  of  their  elders ;  therefore,  each  in  his  turn,  as  they 
grow  old,  have  to  regret  that  they  did  not  profit  by  the  expe- 
rience and  advice  of  others.  Let  me  conjure  all,  who  find 
themselves  in  a  position  similar  to  mine,  to  lay  aside  all 
pride,  fear,  or  shame,  and  at  once  seek  the  counsel  and  assist- 
ance of  an  elder  friend,  and  give  the  facts  without  reserva- 
tion. It  is  treating  such  a  friend  unfairly  to  ask  for  advice 
and  assistance  unless  a  full  and  frank  exposition  is  made,  to 
enable  him  to  look  upon  the  matter  in  all  its  bearings.  All 
that  I  have  seen  convinces  me  that  this  is  a  subject  of  the 
utmost  importance,  and  that  the  space  devoted  to  it  cannot  be 
better  occupied. 

Every  person  who  does  a  wrong  act,  or  commits  a  crime, 
from  the  least  to  the  greatest,  believes  at  the  moment  that  he 
or  she  is  justified  in  so  doing.  Every  man  who  contemplates 
doing  a  "  doubtful "  act,  in  case  he  is  strongly  desirous  to  do 
it,  has  a  way  of  "  putting  "  things  before  his  own  mind  Avhich 
blinds  him  to  its  real  nature.  At  the  same  time  others,  who 
notice  the  action,  see  clearly  that  it  is  wrong.  Now,  this 
principle  in  human  nature  holds  good,  no  matter  how  low  Ave 
descend  into  the  ranks  of  the  countless  millions  bound  in  the 
chains  of  vice  and  ignorance. 

Prisoners  placed  in  circumstances  where  they  can  talk,  do 
so  incessantly  ;  and,  as  they  know  little  else,  their  conversation 


"  CIRCUMSTANCES.'*  ^g 

naturally  reverts  to  the  events  of  their  past  lives,  in  which 
stories  of  robberies,  and  revelry  on  the  proceeds,  predominate. 
No  matter  what  may  be  their  demeanor  towards  the  authori- 
ties, servile  or  otherwise,  they  are  generally  frank,  manly, 
and  honest  in  their  intercourse  with  each  other.  While  in 
prison  they  lead  a  quiet,  regular  life,  and  are  not  exposed  to 
the  temptations  which  surround  them  on  every  side  when 
free.  Under  such  circumstances,  while  much  of  their  natural 
predilection  to  evil  and  crime  comes  to  the  surface,  a  great 
majority  act  like  well-disposed  men,  and,  so  far  as  they  have 
the  opportunity,  are  kind  and  obliging. 

It  has  been  my  good  (or  ill)  fortune  to  have  heard  the  life 
histories  of  all  varieties  of  criminals,  from  the  area  thief  or 
the  petty  pilferer  to  the  men  who  have  perpetrated  atrocities 
as  monstrous  as  any  recorded  in  the  annals  of  crime.  Yet  I 
have  not  seen  one  who  had  not  found  a  salve  for  his  con- 
science —  reasons  which,  to  his  own  mind,  rendered  his  act 
justifiable  to  himself.  In  too  many  instances  the  excuse  was 
that  they  were  drunk  ;  indeed  there  are  few  convicts  who  do 
not  trace  their  fall  to  drinking  habits,  or  to  their  having  been 
left  by  parents  who  neglected  every  duty,  and  sacrificed  every 
other  object  in  life  for  drink. 

The  word  "  circumstances  "  is  perhaps  the  most  important 
one  in  the  language.  It  is  the  circumstances  which  surround 
from  birth  that  make  the  difference  between  the  judge  upon 
the  bench  and  the  prisoner  at  the  bar.  To  exchange  each  at 
birth  into  the  other's  circumstances,  hereditary  taint  excluded, 
would  have  reversed  the  present  position.  And  until  this 
fact  is  accepted,  and  duly  considered,  but  little  progress  can 
be  hoped  for  in  the  reformation  of  the  great  mass  already 
entangled  in  the  meshes  of  crime.  I  feel  dee^^ly  the  impor- 
tance of  this,  for  I  have  seen  so  many  instances  of  naturally 
good  men  —  young  men  —  who  were  in  prison  the  second, 
fourth,  or  even  the  fifth  time.  I  knew  of  one  who,  after  under- 
going seven  years'  penal  servitude,  was  free  only  twenty  min- 
utes.    This  man  was  sent  from  the  Chatham  prison  to  the 


44  THE   FIRST  DOWNWARD   STEP. 

Millbank  prison,  in  London,  to  be  discharged.  The  next  morn- 
ing he  was  set  free,  and  hurried  down  to  the  Westminster 
bridge  to  cross  to  the  Southwark  side  of  the  Thames,  to  visit 
his  old  hamits,  and  such  of  his  former  companions  as  might 
be  out  of  jail  or  prison.  While  crossing  the  bridge,  twenty 
minutes  later,  he  espied  a  woman  carrying  a  hand-bag.  As  it 
was  early  in  the  morning,  and  but  few  about,  he  snatched  the 
bag  from  the  woman  and  made  a  run  to  escape,  but  at  the 
end  of  the  bridge  rushed  into  the  arms  of  a  policeman.  He 
was  taken  at  once  before  the  police  magistrate,  who  commit- 
ted him  for  trial.  The  grand  jury  was  in  session,  a  true  bill 
of  indictment  was  found  the  same  morning,  and  in  the  after- 
noon he  was  tried,  convicted,  and  sentenced  to  ten  more  years 
penal  servitude.  The  next  morning  he  was  transferred  to 
Millbank  prison,  having  been  away  just  twenty-four  hours 
from  the  time  of  his  discharge.  This  is  an  extreme  case,  but 
a  great  majority  of  the  convicts  who  are  discharged  from  the 
English  public-works  prisons  are  not  free  more  than  an 
average  of  one  month. 

My  object  at  the  present  point  is  to  impress  upon  the 
mind  of  any  reader  who  is  tempted  by  pressing  needs,  how- 
ever brought  about,  to  take  the  first  plunge  into  the  abyss  of 
crime,  the  importance  of  avoiding  the  first  step  in  the  down- 
ward path,  the  end  of  which  he  is  not  in  the  position  or  state 
of  mind  to  foresee.  That  path  and  its  end  I  know  but  too 
well.  I  have  trodden  it  to  where  it  embouches  within  the 
gloomy  walls  of  a  prison. 

Would  you  be  a  slave  of  slaves  ?  Before  this  book  is 
ended,  you  will  see  what  I  mean  by  that  expression. 

The  condition  of  the  slaves  on  Southern  plantations  was 
most  enviable  when  compared  with  the  lot  of  prison  slaves. 
Many  of  them  had  their  little  homes,  not  shut  in  by  high 
walls,  and  the  windows  not  latticed  with  iron  bars.  They 
were  not  precluded  from  having  their  wives  and  children 
around  them,  and  thus  were  not  cut  off  from  giving  vent  to 
some  of  the  affections  common  to  all  humanity.     They  were 


HE    GRADUAL   ADVANCE   INTO    CRIME.  45 

not  obliged  to  restrain  their  smiles,  their  laughter,  and  their 
tears,  under  penalty  of  three  days'  bread  and  water.  After 
the  day's  labor  was  done,  they  could  sit  at  their  little  cabin 
doors  and  watch  the  children  playing,  or  listen  to  the  music 
of  the  fiddle  and  banjo,  while  the  younger  people  joined  in  the 
merry  dance.  The  air  they  breathed  had  a  smack  of  freedom, 
untainted  by  contact  with  gloomy  wVils.  At  Christmas-time 
they  could  have  some  relaxation  from  labor,  and  take  a  part 
in  enjoyments  unknown  at  least  to  English  convicts.  For 
these  there  is  no  relaxation  and  no  change.  The  same 
dreary  round  from  day  to  day  —  the  days  dragging  slowly 
into  months  —  months  into  weary  years,  which  wear  heavily 
on  both  mind  and  body,  and  still  no  change  —  no  hope  save 
in  prospective  freedom. 

No  young  man  who  occupies  a  respectable  position  in  life, 
or  creates  one  for  himself,  ever  plunges  deliberately  into 
crime.  On  the  contrary,  the  progress  in  that  direction  is  "so 
slow,  so  gradual,  that,  like  the  hour-hand  of  a  watch,  it  is  un- 
noticed. The  deluded  victim,  blinded  by  conceit  and  confi- 
dence in  his  own  abilities,  makes  such  good  excuses  to  his 
conscience  before  taking  each  faltering  step  that,  while  still 
regarding  himself  an  honest  man,  as  the  world  goes,  he  has 
already  reached  the  brink  of  the  abyss  and  can  no  longer 
save  himself  from  the  plunge 

Which  lands  him  where  the  venging  furies  are; 
Remorse  slays  Hope,  then  hurls  him  to  Despair. 

At  that  stage  he  says  to  himself :  "  I  cannot  live  under 
this  degradation  and  shame.  The  power  that  created  and 
rules  the  universe  will  justify  me  in  putting  an  end  to  my 
life."  But  you  won't  die  !  At  the  last  moment  latent  hope 
will  spring  up  and  prevent  you  from  carrying  out  your  deter- 
mination. In  my  own  case,  the  first  night  after  the  sentence 
(and  on  several  occasions  afterward,  when  numerous  petitions 
for  my  release  had  been  refused),  I  felt  that  I  could  not 
endure  life  longer.  Once  I  got  an  improvised  rope  fastened 
in  a  ventilator  above  the  door,  piled  some  books  on  a  rickety 


46 


OUT   OF   THE  NOOSE. 


stool,  and  mounting  on  top  put  my  head  into  the  noose,  and 
let  mj  weight  tighten  it,  until  the  blood  was  surging  tumult- 
uously.  I  was  about  to  kick  the  books  and  stool  away,  when, 
like  a  flash  of  lightning,  a  voice  seemed  speaking  in  my  buzz- 
ing ears  :  ''  If  you  do  this,  all  is  finished  !  Live,  and  you  may 
be  of  benefit  to  your  family  and  mankind  !  "  With  difficulty 
I  removed  the  noose  from  my  neck,  and  sank  down  horror- 
stricken  at  what  I  had  attempted. 


Chapter  IV. 


IN  BUSINESS  ON  BROADWAY  —  A  TYPOGRAPHICAL  VILLAIN  —  HILTON  FLOODS  THE 
CONFEDERATE  STATES  "WITH  SPURIOUS  NOTES  AND  BONDS  —  HIS  ARREST  AND 
CONFINEMENT  IN  FORT  LAFAYETTE  —  LIFE  IN  LUDLOW  STREET  JAIL  —  OILS  THE 
WHEELS  OF  THE  JUDICIAL  CHARIOT  WITH  $40,000— A  FARCICAL  PUNISHMENT 
—  A  QUESTION  FOR  CASUISTS. 

AFTER  the  ten-dollar  affair  had  thrown  me  out  of  employ- 
ment, I  was  ashamed  to  have  recourse  to  any  of  my 
friends,  and  being  unable  to  pay  rent  longer,  I  sold  the  lease 
of  my  house  in  Brooklyn,  together  with  a  part  of  the  furni- 
ture, and  removed  to  a  suite  of  rooms  in  a  tenement  house  in 
New  York.  I  was  at  that  time  scarcely  able  to  provide  food 
for  those  dependent  upon  me.  Before  long  I  found  a  person 
willing  to  join  me  in  reopening  an  old-established  bakery  in 
Grand  Street.  It  had  been  closed  for  some  time,  a  result  of 
the  death  of  the  former  owner,  who  had  made  a  small  fortune 
out  of  the  concern.  As  we  did  not  understand  the  business, 
it  was  not  many  months  before  it  had  to  be  closed,  and  I  was 
again  seeking  employment.  Having  acquired  some  knowledge 
of  the  business,  I  took  charge  of  a  bakery  for  a  sale-agent,  and 
having  within  a  month  found  a  buyer,  I  received  one  hundred 
and  twenty  dollars  commission. 

I  now  purchased  a  confectionery  business  in  Broadway, 
mostly  on  credit.  That  was  a  business  which  I  understood, 
but  I  foresaw  that  the  rent  — 13,000  per  year— would  eat  up 
the  profits,  although  the  business  was  making  money,  as  I 
was  assured  by  the  owner.  On  account  of  the  debts  still 
hanging  over  me  from  the  Grand  Rapids  failure,  I  was  obliged 
to  do  business  in  my  wife's  name.     This  confectionery  busi- 

(47) 


48  FINANCIERING. 

ness  having  been,  as  stated,  bought  mostly  on  credit,  I  was 
just  in  a  condition  to  take  chances,  and  did  not  investigate 
very  closely.  I  was  only  too  glad  to  take  hold  of  anything  on 
terms  which  would,  if  only  temporarily,  give  support  to  my 
own  and  my  father's  family.  A  few  months'  trial  showed  me 
that  it  was  very  close  work  to  pay  the  rent,  and  that  the  loca- 
tion was  too  far  down  town.  I  therefore  found  a  vacant  store 
farther  up  Broadway,  near  Bleecker  Street,  at  that  time  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  locations  for  retail  business  in  Xew 
York. 

I  had  taken  this  store  the  15th  of  September,  the  rent 
of  seventeen  dollars  for  each  week-day  to  begin  on  the  1st  of 
October  ensuing.  This  interval  was  allowed  me  in  which  to 
put  in  the  fittings  and  remove  from  down  town.  On  the  day 
of  removal  I  had  but  sixteen  dollars,  and  was  in  debt  several 
hundreds  for  labor  and  material  in  fitting  up.  By  the  terms 
of  the  lease  I  was  bound  to  pay  the  rent  monthly  in  advance. 
How  was  this  to  be  accomplished  ?  On  the  first  of  October,' 
the  day  on  which  the  new  store  was  opened,  I  had,  neverthe- 
less, not  only  paid  the  rent  but  also  part  of  my  other  indebted- 
ness, and  had  as  fine  a  place  as  any  of  the  kind  then  in  New 
York.  I  will  now  explain  the  nature  of  the  financiering 
which  enabled  me  to  meet  those  liabilities.  It  will  be  seen  that 
my  plan  was  not  the  newest  in  the  world,  viz  :  Paying  off  one 
debt  by  making  another  elsewhere  a  little  larger.  Some  read- 
ers may  have  heard  of  such  a  process  even  as  late  as  1888.  I 
found  a  young  man  with  six  hundred  dollars  who  offered  to 
loan  it  to  me  on  the  security  of  my  store  fixtures,  provided  I 
would  employ  him  at  fifty  dollars  a  month  as  long  as  I  held 
the  money,  to  which  I  agreed. 

From  October  1st  to  January  1st,  the  business  was  so 
prosperous  that  I  had  paid  off  more  than  four  hundred  dollars 
of  the  old  debt,  and  the  six  hundred  to  the  young  man,  as  I 
did  not  really  require  his  services.  The  net  profit  for  the 
three  months  was  over  one  thousand  dollars.  This  was  the 
retail  trade  alone ;  and  as  I  contemplated  selling  at  wholesale 


O 


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HILTON'S  PLAN.  49 

in  a  short  time,  it  seemed  clear  that  I  had  struck  a  mine. 
Now  let  the  reader  see  how  I  lost  that  finely-established  busi- 
ness. It  may  be  remembered  that  I  had  some  bills  printed  to 
advertise  the  "  Coffee-Roaster."  I  had  by  accident  ordered 
them  of  a  printer  named  Hilton ;  and  as  he  seemed  to  me  a 
fair-minded  and  honest  man,  our  acquaintance  ripened  into  a 
warm  friendship,  at  least  on  my  part. 

On  the  first  of  January,  after  paying  off  the  six  hundred 
dollars,  I  saw  that  I  needed  the  use  of  a  like  amount  for  a 
while  longer,  but  believed  I  could  obtain  it  for  less  than  fifty 
dollars  per  month.  My  first  intention  was  to  borrow  it  from 
a  wealthy  New  England  relative,  but  on  explaining  the  situa- 
tion to  my  friend  Hilton,  he  immediately  proposed  what 
he  held  to  be  a  better  plan.  He  had  only  enough  means  to 
carry  on  his  own  business,  and  as  I  felt  a  prejudice,  as  did  my 
wife,  against  letting  any  relative  know  that  we  were  obliged  to 
borrow,  I  accepted  his  plan,  which  was  as  follows  :  I  was  to 
give  him  my  notes  signed  in  blank ;  he  was  to  purchase  goods 
to  the  amount  of  one  thousand  dollars  from  whoever  would 
accept  my  note  in  payment. 

It  was  proposed  that  the  goods  should  be  purchased  on  six 
months'  credit ;  these  I  was  to  sell,  at  perhaps  a  small  loss, 
and  have  the  use  of  the  money  until  the  note  or  notes  became 
due.  The  plan  on  paper  looked  fine  ;  but  as  I  afterwards  dis- 
covered, it  not  only  ruined  my  reputation,  but  got  me  "  taken 
in  and  done  for "  in  an  exceedingly  "  clever  way  "  (as  the 
English  put  it).  The  reasons  Hilton  gave  for  wanting 
more  than  one  note,  and  those  signed  in  blank,  were,  to  give 
his  own  words,  "  I  don't  know  what  amount  I  shall  buy  at 
one  place,  and  can  fill  out  the  note  accordingly.  Of  course 
the  people  to  whom  I  give  the  note  will  think  it  is  one  which 
you  have  paid  out  in  the  regular  course  of  business.  If  they 
come  to  ask  you  about  it,  tell  them  it  is  all  right,  and  will  be 
paid  when  due."  I  had  no  objection  to  doing  this,  for  I  had 
not  a  doubt  of  my  ability  to  meet  the  obligation-  The  next 
day  a  gentleman  called  and  showed  me  my  note  for  five  or 
4 


50  NOTES  AND  NOTES. 

six  hundred  dollars,  and  asked  me  if  I  expected  to  pay  it  at 
maturity.  I  replied,  "  Certainly,"  and  he  went  away.  I  saw 
Hilton  the  same  evening  and  asked  him  if  he  had  received 
the  goods  for  my  note.  He  replied :  "  The  merchant  was 
not  satisfied,  and  concluded  not  to  accept  it  in  payment  for 
the  goods."  "  What  did  you  do  with  the  note  ? "  I  asked. 
"  I  tore  it  up,"  he  replied.  Having  complete  confidence  in 
his  integrity,  and  above  all  in  his  friendship,  I  did  not  distrust 
him.  The  next  day  another  note  was  brought  to  me  with  pre- 
cisely the  same  result. 

Hilton  came  to  me  for  more  blank  notes,  and  I  gave 
him  a  number,  but,  as  a  business  precaution,  required  him  to 
give  me  the  same  number  of  his  own  signed  in  blank.  The 
readiness  with  which  he  complied  increased  my  confidence 
that  he  was  acting  toward  me  in  good  faith. 

For  the  next  month,  gentlemen  frequently  came  to  me 
with  my  notes  for  various  sums ;  and,  incredible  as  it  may 
seem,  I  continued  to  swallow  down  Hilton's  assurances 
that  the  parties,  after  making  inquiries,  had  refused  to  com- 
plete the  transaction.  With  childlike  simplicity  I  also  ac- 
cepted his  assurance  that  he  always  destroyed  the  notes. 
Owing  to  circumstances,  I  did  not  ascertain  the  entire  truth 
until  several  years  afterwards,  or  just  before  I  left  for  Eng- 
land—  an  excursion  which  cost  me  the  best  years  of  my  life. 
These  are  the  facts :  Hilton  had  discovered  the  names  and 
addresses  of  my  references,  who  were  business  men  of  high 
standing  in  New  York.  He  did  not  make  the  purchases  in 
person,  but  through  a  broker.  This  man  paid  for  the  goods 
with  my  notes,  giving  the  names  of  my  references,  then 
delivered  them  over  to  Hilton.  When  I  left  New  York, 
later  on,  to  sell  my  new  invention  (see  next  chapter),  he  still 
had  a  number  of  my  notes  signed  in  blank,  and,  on  the 
strength  of  the  references,  continued  to  "buy"  goods  —  how 
long,  and  to  what  amount,  I  have  never  known  to  this  day. 
At  all  events,  money  represented  by  the  amount  of  the  notes 
brought  to  me  for  only  a  month,  before  I  left  New  York,  must 


TEE   BAD,  BAD  PRINTER.  51 

have  been  twenty  thousand  dollars,  and  from  facts  discovered 
later  I  am  satisfied  that  Hilton  received  goods,  of  all  kinds,  to 
the  amount  of  thirty  or  forty  thousand  dollars. 

Some  months  later  I  called  on  Mr,  Erastus  Titus,  one  of 
my  references  above  mentioned,  to  pay  a  balance  of  twenty 
dollars  due  him.  He  not  being  in,  I  paid  the  amount  to  his 
son,  Erastus  Titus,  Jr.  —  still  a  resident  of  New  York  —  and 
subsequently  I  had  frequent  occasion  to  recall  a  remark  which 
he  made  when  I  handed  him  the  money :  "  I  always  said  that 
you  would  pay  us." 

At  the  moment  the  remark  seemed  to  be  apropros  'to 
nothing,  and  I  let  it  pass  ;  but  occasionally  afterwards,  when 
I  came  in  contact  with  those  who  had  known  about  my  Broad- 
way business,  I  could  perceive  from  their  manner  that  some- 
thins:  was  wrono^.  These  had  doubtless  heard  of  the  huo-e 
swindle  which  Hilton  had  perpetrated  in  my  name,  and 
supposed  that  I,  being  the  chief  actor,  of  course  "  knew  all 
about  it,"  and  thought  any  reference  to  the  subject  might 
hurt  my  feelings ;  therefore  I  obtained  no  clue  to  the  truth 
until  long  afterwards,  as  explained  elsewhere.  It  was  in 
some  degree  the .  inexplicable  "  cold-shouldering,"  as  above 
intimated,  that  helped  me  onward  in  the  path  wdiich  led 
ultimately  to  the  great  catastrophe  of  my  life. 

In  all  such  cases  it  would  be  better  to  state  frankly  to  a 
friend  what  is  causing  one  to  regard  another  coldly,  thus 
giving  an  opportunity  for  explanations  which  would  relieve 
or  confirm  the  suspicions. 

The  ''  goods  "  comprised  furniture  for  a  four-story,  brown- 
stone  front  in  upper  New  York,  where  I  afterwards  called  on 
Hilton ;  horses  and  carriage,  printing  machinery  and  ma- 
terial, etc.  He  conducted  this  matter  so  skillfully  that,  for 
years  after,  although  I  saw  his  style  of  living  was  wonderfully 
improved,  I  never  even  suspected  that  he  had  received  any- 
thing for  the  blank  notes  I  had  put  in  his  possession.  Indeed, 
I  felt  so  confident  he  had  destroyed  them,  that  in  turn  I 
destroyed  those  he  had  given  me,  although  some  years  after  I 


52  J^  LUDLOW  STREET  JAIL. 

discovered  one  which  had  been  overlooked.  All  this  occurred 
ill  the  year  1862.  During  the  Rebellion,  this  man  Hilton 
went  into  the  manufacture,  in  New  York,  of  blank  notes  and 
bonds  for  the  Confederate  government.  Of  course  he  had  to 
do  all  this  secretly,  and  get  his  productions  smuggled  through 
the  lines. 

I  was  not  aware  of  this  till  I  called  at  the  Ludlow  Street 
jail,  in  1864,  in  response  to  a  letter  he  had  written  me.  He 
was  then  confined  by  order  of  the  United  States  government. 
He  had  been  imprisoned  at  first  in  Fort  Lafayette.  The 
means  acquired  by  the  negotiation  of  my  notes  had  enabled 
him  to  enlarge  his  printing  establishment,  and  open  a  book 
printing  and  publishing  house.  He  had  soon  after  begun 
printing  Confederate  notes  and  bonds,  and  had  thus  made  a 
good  deal  of  money.  He  had  previously  so  much  faith  in  my 
verdant  simplicity,  combined  with  stupidity,  that  he  —  up  to 
the  time  I  left  for  Enoland  —  told  me  all  his  secrets  without 
reserve,  and  especially  after  he  became  aware  that  I  had 
taken  to  "  ways  that  are  dark  "  to  obtain  money.  When  I 
saw  him  in  Ludlow  Street  jail,  or  "  House  of  Detention  for 
L'nited  States  Prisoners,"  as  its  numerous  inmates  called  it,  I 
found  him  seated  in  the  interior  court-yard,  tipped  back  in 
his  chair  against  the  wall,  with  his  heels  up  in  true  Saratoga 
style.  At  that  time  I  had  never  been  imprisoned,  and  my 
ideas  of  the  internal  management  of  jails  and  prisons  were  as 
crude  as  those  of  ordinary  outsiders.  Finding  him  in  such  a 
place,  apparently  so  comfortable,  about  the  following  con- 
versation ensued : 

"  Well,  old  fellow,  you  don't  seem  to  be  in  such  bad 
quarters,  after  all.  I  thought  they  had  you  behind  the  bolts 
and  bars." 

"  Oh,"  he  replied,  "  I  make  that  all  0.  K.  I  have  only  to 
give  the  keepers  a  proper  '  douceur '  to  do  as  I  like.  I  am  out 
here  or  walking  about  the  place  all  day,  and  in  the  evening, 
after  there  is  no  lona'er  dano-er  of  a  visit  from  anv  of  the 
government  authorities,  one  of  the  keepers  goes  home  with 


A   CONFEDERATE    CONTRACT.  53 

me.  You  see  I  take  supper  and  breakfast  at  home,  and  get 
back  here  in  good  season  in  the  morning." 

"But  what  about  3'our  dinner,  cigars,  etc.?" 

"  My  dinner  is  sent  to  me  from  a  restaurant,  and  I  send 
out  for  cigars,  fruit,  or  anything  else  1  want." 

"  Does  the  time  hang  at  all  heavy  on  your  hands  ? " 

"  Oh,  no ;  I  read  the  papers,  have  a  game  of  billiards  with 
one  of  the  deputy  marshals  in  the  officers'  quarters,  see  any 
friends  who  may  call,  adjust  and  arrange  business  matters 
connected  with  the  printing-office,  and  before  realizing  it  the 
time  has  come  for  me  to  start  home." 

"  But  how  did  you  get  into  this  scrape  ?  " 

"  I  had  a  contract  from  the  Confederate  government  to 
engrave  the  plates  and  print  fifty  million  dollars  of  their 
blank  notes  and  bonds.  I  purchased  the  tools  and  material 
required,  and  had  some  reliable  men  —  I  mean  good  rebels  — 
who  understood  engraving,  printing,  etc.,  sent  to  me  by  the 
Confeds.  These  men  worked  all  night  in  my  establishment, 
while  I  carried  on  the  usual  business  in  the  daytime.  They 
came  to  the  printing-office  after  my  day  workmen  had  gone 
home.  I  let  them  in  from  a  side  street,  and  thev  left  earlv 
enough  in  the  morning  to  avoid  any  contact  with  the  day 
hands.  Everything  connected  with  the  Confederate  job  was 
locked  in  a  room  of  which  I  held  the  key.  I  struck  off  several 
million  dollars,  and  smuggled  all  through  the  lines  safely  to 
Richmond.  The  Confederate  government  had  agreed  to  pay 
me  in  gold,  but  they  were  so  hard  up  that  I  received  nothing." 

"  Well,  what  did  you  do  then  ?  " 

"  I  found  that  the  two  skilled  workmen  sent  me  by  the 
Confederate  government  were  quite  willing  to^take  part  in 
a  new  scheme  which  suggested  itself  as  soon  as  I  found  the 
Confeds  had  gone  back  on  me,  and  that  was  to  fill  in  our  blank 
bills,  notes,  and  bonds,  with  the  names  of  Jeff.  Davis  and  oth- 
ers, in  exact  imitation  of  the  genuine  signatures  of  which  I 
had  specimens." 

"  But,  my  dear  fellow,  that  was  forgery,  was  it  not  ?" 


54      THE   MAN    WHO  PUT  DOWN   THE   REBELLION. 

"  Forgery  be !     Why,  it  was  aiding  the  government 

to  squelch  its  enemies  and  to  put  down  treason  and  rebellion, 
by  weakening  their  credit !  Don't  you  see  that  by  flooding 
the  South  as  I  have  done  with  the  counterfeit,  that  the  rebels 
themselves  have  begun  to  distrust  all  the  genuine  paper  issued 
by  their  own  government  ?  Can't  you  realize  that  I  have  done 
more  than  the  armies  to  break  the  backbone  of  the  rebellion  ? 
And  see  how  I  am  served !  " 

At  this  point  he  became  very  indignant ;  and  I  may 
remark  that  my  pseudo  friend  was  not  the  only  one  who,  in 
those  stirring  times,  was  changed  from  a  warm  rebel  sympa- 
thizer into  a  good  patriot  by  imprisonment  in  the  casemates 
of  Fort  Lafayette. 

"  By  some  means,"  Hilton  continued,  "  the  U.  S.  Marshal 
got  an  inkling  of  what  I  was  about,  and  had  my  place  watched 
until  he  was  satisfied  of  the  truth  of  his  information.  He 
then  made  a  descent  on  my  printing-office,  and  carried  off 
every  thing  connected  with  the  engraving  and  printing  of 
blank  notes.  At  the  same  time  he  had  me  arrested,  and  con- 
signed to  pace  the  ramparts  of  Fort  Lafayette  by  day,  and 
sleep  in  one  of  its  bomb-proofs  by  night." 

''  That  was  rather  rough  on  you,  but  you  had  put  your 
foot  into  the  trap  in  the  first  place  by  supplying  the  rebels 
with  the  sinews  of  war,  and  I  am  rather  of  the  opinion  you 
have  got  your  just  deserts  ;  but  tell  me  how  you  got  trans- 
ferred from  Fort   Lafayette  ?  " 

"  By  using  twenty  thousand  dollars  in  lubricating  the 
wheels  of  the  law  machine,  the  same  as  I  use  oil  to  make  my 
printing-machinery  run  smoothly." 

"  Very  good  ;  but  how  are  you  going  to  get  out  of  the  fix  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  have  made  that  all  O.  K.,  and  will  be  free  in  a  few 
days ;  but  it  has  all  cost  me  a  mint  of  money,  and  I  shall  be 
hard  up  again  for  some  time,  especially  as  I  can't  run  the 
'  Confederate '  any  longer." 

I  have  recounted  this  conversation  of  Hilton's  as  an  ex- 
ample of  how  men  in  their  own  estimation  never  do  wrong, 


A   GREAT  MORAL    QUESTION: 


bb 


and  how  they  plaster  that  word  over  m  their  consciences. 
Readers  who  are  skilled  in  the  science  of  casuistry  may  solve 
this  problem :  Was  it  right  for  Hilton  to  forge  the  names 
of  Jeff.  Davis,  Benjamin,  and  other  Confederate  government 
officials,  if  he  really  intended  to  flood  the  rebel  States  with 
counterfeit  bank  and  treasury  notes  for  the  ultimate  purpose 
of  crippling  that  government  ? 


Chapter  V. 


I  INVENT  A  STEAM-KETTLE  AND  OBTAIN  A  PATENT  —  THE  BROADWAY  BUSINESS 
BROKEN  UP — MY  TEMPORARY  DISCOURAGEMENT — ATTEMPT  TO  ESTABLISH  A 
FACTORY  IN  TORONTO  —  CONFIDENCE  IN  U.  S.  GREENBACKS — GOLD  ON  THE 
"rampage"  — $10,000  REDUCED  BY  EXCHANGE  TO  $3,000  —  RETREAT  TO  CHI- 
CAGO —  FRANK  KIBBE,  THE  MERCHANDISE  SWINDLER  —  I  MEET  HIM  IN  BUFFALO 
AND  BALTIMORE  —  KIBBE,  FEARING  ARREST,  INDUCES  ME  TO  COLLECT  $1,000  — 
A  "  crook's  "  CHANCES  OF  ESCAPING  IMPRISONMENT. 

WHILE  Hilton  was  trying,  as  I  supposed,  in  vain  to  get 
me  the  small  amomit  I  lacked  to  make  my  business 
easier  during  the  dull  months  of  January  and  February,  I  had 
evolved  out  of  my  brain  an  improved  steam-kettle ;  and  as 
soon  as  I  saw  the  Hilton  plan  was  liable  to  fail,  I  deter- 
mined to  raise  the  necessary  capital  from  my  invention. 

I  left  the  store  in  charge  of  a  brother-in-law,  before  then 
out  of  employment,  and,  with  his  family,  living  at  my  house. 
He  was  an  utter  failure  as  a  business  man,  though  a  "  plod- 
der "  who  afterwards  became  rich  in  the  "  turtle  "  way. 

I  learned  subsequently  that,  when  any  one  came  into  my 
Broadway  store  and  asked  where  I  was,  or  any  other  question, 
he  would  not  look  at  them,  but  remain  in  stupid  silence.  I 
doubt  not  but  some  of  those  to  whom  Hilton  paid  my  notes 
called  to  see  me,  and  being  thus  treated  thought  I  must  have 
ran  away,  and  later  conferred  with  my  landlord.  At  all 
events  he  called  to  see  me,  and  being  thus  received,  went 
straightway  and  let  the  store  for  the  following  year  to  another 
party. 

In  the  meantime,  with  no  suspicion  of  what  was  passing 
in  New  York,  I  was  having  unexpected  success  with  the  sale 
of  my  steam-kettle,  and  sent  home  several  hundred  dollars  to 

(56) 


''MOURNING   goods:*  ^^ 

pay  the  next  month's  rent  and  other  expenses.  Of  course 
I  was  in  high  spirits,  believing  that  I  was,  after  all  my 
struggles  and  vicissitudes,  fairly  settled  in  a  money-making 
business,  and  that  I  should  be  no  longer  cramped  for  means 
to  carry  it  on. 

I  wrote  to  my  wife  frequently,  but  as  I  was  going  from 
place  to  place  I  could  not  tell  definitely  where  a  letter  would 
reach  me.  At  the  end  of  four  weeks  I  had  received  none, 
and  I  started  for  home  triumphant,  having  cleared  above  ex- 
penses more  than  one  thousand  dollars.  On  my  arrival  in 
New  York  I  was  utterly  dismayed  at  finding  the  store  closed, 
and  a  placard  in  the  window  which  read  thus :  "  This   store 

will  be  occupied  by  Messrs. ,  with  a  full  assortment  of 

Mourning  Goods  of  the  latest  Parisian  styles.  Opening  day 
on  Wednesday,  May  1,  1863." 

During  my  absence  the  business  had  been  grossly  mis- 
managed ;  and  it  appeared  that  my  brother-in-law  accepted  of 
a  small  sum  from  the  new  lessees  to  vacate  the  store  at  once 
—  a  transaction  on  a  par  with  his  other  business  achieve- 
ments. 

I  learned  that  the  gentlemen  who  had  rented  the  store 
while  I  was  absent,  paid  four  hundred  dollars  for  the  privi- 
lege of  possession  before  the  first  of  May.  Had  not  the 
store  been  closed  on  my  arrival,  I  could  in  all  probability 
have  held  possession. 

Thus,  I  found  myself  once  more  afloat,  and  for  a  few  days 
was  greatly  depressed  and  discouraged.  Very  soon  I  left 
New  York  with  my  only  remaining  hope,  my  steam-kettle. 
Those  who  had  been  victimized  by  Hilton  with  my  notes, 
after  the  Broadway  store  was  closed  did  not  know  where  to 
find  me,  and  as  the  notes  became  due  I  received  no  notice 
from  the  holders  of  my  paper.  Had  I  received  a  single  notice 
I  should  have  discovered  all  the  facts.  If  I  had  remained  in 
New  York,  the  gentlemen  who  acted  as  my  references  would 
have  informed  me ;  although  Hilton  had  taken  every  precau- 
tion to  cover  his  connection  with  the  business  by  the  employ- 


58  JJOW  -'FRESH''! 

ment  of  a  broker,  I  believe  there  was  sufficient  evidence  to 
have  shown  up  the  whole  affair. 

The  breaking  up  of  my  Broadway  business  started  me  on 
the  journey  which  brought  me  in  contact  with  one  of  the  most 
skillful  commercial  swindlers  ever  known — Frank  Kibbe,  of 
whom  the  reader  will  learn  more  about  hereafter. 

Within  a  few  months,  I  had  made  several  thousand  dollars 
from  the  sale  of  my  steam-kettle,  and  I  began  to  think  of 
establishing  myself  once  more  in  business. 

During  my  travels,  I  had  made  a  short  stay  in  Toronto, 
and  had  ascertained  there  was  an  excellent  opening  there  for 
a  wholesale  confectionery  business. 

I  soon  hired  a  large  warehouse  well  suited  to  the  purpose, 
and  fitted  it  up  in  proper  shape.  I  sent  for  my  family  to 
remove  from  New  York,  and  soon  after  their  arrival  I  had 
the  factory  in  operation.  Now  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I 
had  started  a  business  on  a  safe  foundation,  with  ten  thousand 
dollars  to  carry  it  on.  People  conversant  with  my  previous 
mishaps  said :  "  Surely,  Bidwell  has  the  thing  right  this  time." 
But  he  did  not  have  it  right.  It  would  be  difficult  for  the 
reader  to  imagine  how  I  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  business 
almost  at  the  start. 

When  I  first  concluded  to  make  the  venture,  gold  was  at 
a  premium  of  about  twenty  per  cent.,  greenbacks  being  worth 
about  eighty  cents  in  gold.  I  reasoned  thus  to  myself: 
"  There  is  no  better  security  in  the  world  than  a  United 
States  greenback,  and  it  is  absurd  that  it  should  not  command 
its  full  value  in  gold.  Other  people  must  look  at  the  matter 
in  the  same  light,  and  see  that  it  is  nothing  but  the  operations 
in  Wall  Street  that  put  greenbacks  below  par.  Such  an  un- 
natural state  of  things  cannot  continue,  and  it  will  not  be 
long  before  the  good  sense  of  the  majority  will  predominate 
and  the  bills  be  worth  their  face." 

That  sort  of  reasoning  shows  how  "  fresh  "  I  still  was  in 
financial  matters.  I  kept  on  investing  in  the  Toronto  busi- 
ness, holding  my  capital  in  greenbacks  to  exchange  for  Can- 


BUFFALO,  BILLIARDS,  AND  BALTIMORE.  59 

ada  money  only  as  fast  as  became  necessary.  Gold  kept  going 
up,  up,  till  by  the  time  I  had  my  factory  ready  for  successful 
operation  it  had  reached  above  two  hundred  and  eighty. 

To  exchange  my  ten  thousand  at  the  rate  current  in  To- 
ronto would  leave  me  with  only  about  three  thousand  dollars 
capital.  I  regretfully  abandoned  the  business,  with  the  loss 
of  three-fourths  of  my  capital ;  for,  in  order  to  close  up  mat- 
ters, I  was  obliged  to  sell  one  hundred  dollars  in  greenbacks 
for  thirty  dollars  in  Canada  currency,  Avhich  was  the  equiva- 
lent of  gold.  At  this  time,  I  sent  my  father,  with  the  others 
of  the  family,  to  Chicago,  and  for  the  first  time  since  marriage 
my  wife  and  I  were  living  by  ourselves. 

Previous  to  the  Toronto  fiasco,  while  staying.at  a  hotel  in 
Buffalo,  engaged  in  the  sale  of  my  patent  kettle,  I  had  gradu- 
ally fallen  into  the  habit  of  passing  a  part  of  my  time  even- 
ings either  in  watching  the  game  of  billiards,  or  in  playing 
myself.  On  several  of  these  occasions  I  had  noticed  a  man 
playing,  who  was  also  a  guest  at  the  hotel.  His  general 
appearance  was  that  of  a  business  man.  He  was  above  the 
medium  height,  slim,  with  auburn  hair,  light  complexion,  a 
blonde  mustache,  and  a  pair  of  noticeably  large,  light-blue, 
restless  eyes.  He,  like  myself,  seemed  to  be  alone,  and  to 
have  considerable  leisure.  One  evenins:  I  was  watching  a 
game,  when  he  came  forward  and  asked  me  to  play.  I 
accepted  the  invitation,  and  had  several  games  with  him  before 
I  left  Buffalo. 

Some  months  after  this,  I  was  staying  at  the  old  Fountain 
Hotel  in  Baltimore.  I  found  the  restless,  shifty-eyed  man, 
whose  acquaintance  I  had  formed  in  Buffalo,  stopping  at  the 
same  hotel,  and  on  the  strength  of  the  former  meeting  we 
passed  our  leisure  time  in  playing  billiards.  He  led  me  to 
believe  that  he  was  traveling  on  some  kind  of  mercantile 
business,  and  it  was  not  long  before  I  told  him  about  my  steam- 
kettle.  He  gave  me  his  name  as  Frank  Kibbe,  and  my 
acquaintance  with  that  man  proved  the  most  unfortunate 
event  of  my  life.     With  the  exterior  and  manners  of  a  business 


QQ  .  "THE  ROGUE.'' 

man  —  active  and  indefatigable  in  the  prosecution  of  his  pro- 
jects —  insinuating  in  his  demeanor  toward  strangers  —  plausi- 
ble and  fluent  in  speech  —  in  private  life  uncommonly  dissolute 
—  fickle  and  false  toward  those  with  whom  he  became  in  any 
way  connected, — he  did  not  possess  even  the  redeeming  trait 
known  as  "  honor  among  thieves."  Frank  Kibbe,  who  came 
to  be  known  as  "  The  Rogue,"  would  resort  to  any  means  to 
obtain  money  with  w^hich  to  conduct  the  worship  of  his  god 
and  goddess,  Bacchus  and  Venus.  He  was  a  most  detestable 
coward,  although  among  acquaintances  a  blatant  braggart. 

I  have  known  but  one  other  man  who  resembled  "  The 
Rogue  "  in  personal  appearance,  being  his  opposite  in  every 
other  trait  except  that  of  cowardice.  In  this  George  Engles 
was  the  former's  equal  ,^^nd  up  to  the  time  I  got  into  an  Eng- 
lish prison  he  had  evaded  paying  any  legal  penalties  for  the 
forgeries  which  had  brought  him  in  several  hundred  thousand, 
and  secured  him  the  title  of  "  The  Terror  of  Wall  Street."  Later 
on  I  shall  have  something  more  to  say  of  this  man  and  his 
operations  in  Wall  Street  and  elsewhere. 

After  a  few  days  Kibbe  saw  fit  to  take  me  into  his  confi- 
dence. He  told  me  that  he  had  a  commission  office  in  Bal- 
timore, and  after  some  skirmishing  about,  finally  divulged 
that  he  was  afraid  to  go  to  his  office  for  fear  of  being  arrested 
by  his  creditors. 

"  I  received  some  goods  from  New  York,"  said  he,  "  and 

have  turned  them  over  to  Messrs. &  Co.,  commission 

merchants,  to  sell  for  me.  I  have  not  paid  for  them  yet, 
and  am  afraid  to  go  to  collect  the  proceeds  of  their  sale. 
Now,  I  will  give  you  an  order  for  the  goods,  and  if  you  will 

take  it  and  collect  the  money  from &   Co.,  I  will  give 

you  one-half." 

I  saw  that  there  was  no  risk  in  accepting  and  executing 
the  offer.  During  my  connection  with  New  York  houses,  and 
in  the  struggles  of  the  previous  few  years,  the  strict  business 
integrity  which  I  had  brought  from  Michigan  to  New  York 
had  been  slow%  but  surely  undermined,  so  that  I  had  become 


A  MONEY  COLLECTION'.  61 

satisfied  that  if  I  lived  up  to  legal  honesty,  it  was  all  required 
of  me  bj  the  generality  of  men.  I  had  reached  the  point 
where  the  only  question  which  presented  itself  was  :  "  Shall 
I  get  into  trouble  by  doing  so  and  so  ?  "  Not,  "  Is  this  thing 
right  —  shall  1  be  doing  as  I  would  wish  to  be  done  by  ?  " 

I  recalled  how  Mr.   0 ,  a  partner  in  the  house  where 

I  was  first  engaged  in  New  York,  then  esteemed  an  honorable 
man,  and  now  one  of  the  magnates  in  Wall  street,  who,  when 

his  house  failed,  and  I  had  located  with  B &  H , 

brought  in  one  of  his  former  customers,  and  recommended 
him  for  credit.  With  the  goods  thus  obtained  the  customer 
paid,  as  doubtless  previously  agreed  between  them,  an  old  debt 

he  owed  Mr.  0 's  house,  then  failed  himself,  and  the  house 

of  B — —  <fc  H got  nothing.     Although  that  man  was  not 

my  customer,  and  I  had  no  acquaintance  with  him,  the  fact 

that  I  was  then  with  B &  H was  what  influenced 

Mr.  0 to  bring  his  debtor  there.     At  any  rate  the  firm 

regarded  the  matter  in  that  light,  and  it  was  a  prime  cause  of 
their  unfair  treatment  of  me  after  that  occurrence. 

I  agreed^  to  Kibbe's  proposition,  and  on  presenting  the 
order  at  the  commission  house,  I  was  at  once  paid  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  sale,  about  one  thousand  dollars.  Instead  of 
keeping  the  whole  amount  as  Kibbe  would  have  done,  I 
returned  to  the  rendezvous  and  paid  him  one-half  as  agreed. 
He  seemed,  evidently,  a  good  deal  surprised  at  my  good  faith 
in  handing  him  the  money.  All  this  time  I  was  doing  well 
with  my  steam-kettle,  and  slowly  accumulating  capital  for  a 
fresh  start.  After  I  had  paid  Kibbe  the  five  hundred  dollars 
he  revealed  to  me  how  he  managed,  without  cash  payment,  to 
get  the  goods  shipped  in  large  quantities  to  any  address  and 
place  he  desired.  Had  I  not  just  returned  from  collecting 
one  thousand  dollars  for  goods  acquired  in  that  manner,  I 
could  not  have  believed  it  possible  ;  but,  as  will  be  seen,  the 
scheme  was  not  only  possible,  but  not  at  all  difficult.  After 
he  had  let  me  deeper  into  the  secrets  of  his  business  I  could 
not  restrain  the  thought,  "  Surely,  Kibbe's  method  of  doing 
business  beats  my  steam-kettle  all  to  nothing ! " 


Q2  THE  SURE  RESULT. 

It  has  been  a  question  with  me  as  to  whether  revelations 
regarding  the  modus  operandi  of  swindling  in  its  various 
forms  would  be  productive  of  more  evil  than  good.  On  the 
one  side  there  may  be  some  who  will  imagine  that  they  have 
only  to  go  and  do  likewise,  in  order  to  sweep  in  money  with- 
out stint.  On  the  other  will  be  merchants  and  business  men, 
especially  the  inexperienced,  who  will  learn  how  swindlers 
operate,  and  be  placed  upon  their  guard. 

To  any  who  may  be  already  reduced  to  that  state  of  mind 
and  laxity  of  true  business  principles  which  would  prompt 
them  to  apply  anything  they  read  here  to  aid  in  obtaining 
money  dishonestly,  I  will  make  a  few  observations.  First, 
whatever  success  you  might  have  at  the  start,  the  result  can 
only  prove  disastrous ;  that  you  may  rely  upon.  1  go  farther : 
no  person  can  commit  a  moral  or  physical  wrong  without  in 
some  way  paying  for  it  thereafter.  For  striking  examples  of 
the  truth  of  this  axiom,  see  other  chapters. 

When  I  first  joined  Kibbe,  the  plans  of  swindling  here 
revealed  were  unknown  to  the  police,  and  so  far  as  they  were 
concerned,  we  had  little  to  fear ;  still  it  will  be  seen  that  we 
got  into  trouble  occasionally.  Though  we  caused  merchants 
to  lose  goods  amounting  to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars, 
we  lost  the  proceeds  of  their  sale  in  one  way  and  another ; 
and  I  think  I  may  safely  make  the  assertion  that  but  one 
swindler  ever  known  to  me  escaped  final  punishment  in  a 
prison.  That  man  was  George  Engles,  the  bank  forger,  who, 
through  not  being  imprisoned,  and  giving  full  reign  to  indul- 
gences, died  prematurely ;  whereas  incarceration  at  intervals, 
where  he  must  have  lived  steadily,  would  have  given  his  phys- 
ical system  an  opportunity  to  recuperate,  so  that  he  would 
have  survived,  perhaps,  to  old  age. 

The  last  sentence  contains  a  truth  applicable  to  the 
lives  of  all  criminals,  and  the  question  it  suggests  is  worthy 
to  be  considered  by  our  legislators  and  reformers. 

While  in  prison  myself,  I  took  every  opportunity  to  ques- 
tion prisoners  of  all  classes,  from  the  sneak  thief  to  the  bank 


WORK   OF   THE   "BOOZE." 


63 


and  jewelry  burglar,  as  to  the  cliances  of  escaping  imprison- 
ment. The  reply  was  generally  to  the  following  effect : 
"  Well,  we  all  get  there,  first  or  last.  Some  fellows  have  better 
luck  than  others.  The  most  of  us  are  no  sooner  out  than  we 
are  '  copped,'  sometimes  the  very  first  time  we  try  to  '  pull  a 
swag.'  After  a  man  has  been  in  once,  he  seldom  keeps  out 
more  than  twelve  or  eighteen  months,  and  but  few  so  long  as 
that.  It  depends  a  good  deal  on  the  '  booze ' ;  if  a  man  boozes 
much,  he  's  safe  enough  to  be  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  bars 
within  a  few  days  or  weeks.  Most  of  us  would  have  been 
killed  long  ago  by  drink  and  dissipation,  if  we  had  been  let 
alone ;  but  they  run  us  in,  and  by  the  time  the  '  lagging '  is 
done  we  are  free  of  disease  and  ready  for  another  splurge." 


Chapter  VI. 


A  SWINDLING  COMMISSION  HOUSE  —  KIBBE  ABSCONDS  WITH  $20,000  —  I  TRACE  HIM  A 
THOUSANDS  MILES — THE  BOGUS  FIRM  OF  HENRY  HARVEY  SHORT  &  CO  ,  BUF- 
FALO—  "the  rogue"  run  to  earth  —  HIS  RACE  FOR  LIBERTY  —  ARRESTED 
BY  A  DETECTIVE  — §600  WORTH  OF  "  PALM-GREASE  "  —  THE  DETECTIVE  ASSISTS 
HIM  TO  "  SKIP"  TO  CANADA  —  INJURED  INNOCENCE  OF  THE  CHIEF  OF  POLICE  — 
KICKED  OUT — I  BRING  KIBBE  TO  BAY — SOME  OF  HIS  "COMMERCIAL"  TRANS- 
ACTIONS EXTRACTED  FROM  THE  "  NEW  YORK  TRIBUNE." 

AFTER  a  few  days  had  elapsed,  Kibbe  suggested  the  idea 
of  going  to  another  city  and  opening  a  "commission 
house."  I  readily  agreed  to  his  proposition,  and  very  soon 
we  "  dropped  down  "  in  Providence,  R.  I.  We  rented  a  large 
store  immediately  without  payment  in  advance,  for  when  I 
went  to  see  the  owner  he  appeared  satisfied  that  every  thing- 
was  all  right  and  gave  me  the  key.  We  had  a  magnificent 
sign  put  up,  and  furnished  the  office  with  desks,  a  set  of  books, 
and  a  full  supply  of  stationery.  As  soon  as  we  were  ready  for 
business,  we  sent  several  small  orders  to  New  York  and  other 
places.  Before  leaving  New  York  we  had  purchased  and  paid 
for  one  hundred  barrels  of  flour,  and  other  saleable  bulky 
goods,  enough  to  make  a  show  in  our  new  store. 

We  opened  an  account  at  a  bank  and  deposited  two  or 
three  thousand  dollars.  All  this  had  been  accomplished  with- 
out giving  any  references,  and  under  false  names.  False 
names  !  I  had,  up  to  the  hour  of  meeting  "  The  Rogue  "  in 
Baltimore,  considered  that  any  man  who  would  resort  to  the 
use  of  another  name  than  his  own,  was  beneath  contempt. 
Alas !  that  I  had  sunk  so  low  and  taken  such  a  stride  into 
crime  in  so  short  a  time  ! 

In  addition  to  Kibbe's  specious  arguments,  and  the  more 
substantial  influence  of  the  ^500,  which  fell  to  my  share  in 

(64) 


BEAT  BY  A  ''BEAT.'' 


65 


Baltimore,  I  attempted  to  justify  mj  actions  to  my  conscience 
in  this  wise :  "  It  is  dishonest  for  a  man  to  obtain  goods  on 
credit  when  he  has  a  doubt  of  his  ability  to  pay  for  them ;  and 
still  worse  if  he  purchases  with  no  intention  to  pay.  But 
the  first  is  done  every  day  by  firms  that  are  in  a  shaky 
condition,  with  the  hope  that  they  may  tide  over  their  diffi- 
culties. The  second  is  also  of  frequent  occurrence,  where 
firms  know  that  they  are  going  to  fail  and  expect  to  make  a 
settlement  with  their  creditors  at,  say,  twenty  cents  on  the 
dollar.  In  regard  to  those  loose  merchants  who  deliver  their 
goods  to  strangers,  without  references,  they  deserve  a  lesson 
on '  how  to  do  business,'  and  the  loss  of  a  few  hundred  dollars 
is  but  a  fair  price  to  pay  for  their  schooling."  Of  course  this 
was  false  reasoning  on  my  part,  but  it  shows  again  how  prone 
men  are  to  argue  in  a  way  that  makes  the  conclusion  coincide 
with  the  desire. 

All  the  small  orders  we  had  sent  by  mail  were  shipped  and 
duly  received  by  us.  We  soon  sent  checks  to  pay  for  these, 
and  ordered  at  the  same  time  a  larger  bill.  Our  store  was 
soon  crammed  full  of  goods,  which  we  sold,  paid  for,  and 
then  made  still  larger  orders.  These  were  filled,  and  while 
some  of  the  shipments  were  on  the  way,  Kil^be  arranged  with 
me  to  go  to  New  York.  He  was  to  remain  behind  and  sell 
some  of  the  goods,  but  the  bulk  of  them  were  to  be  shipped 
to  me.  Accordingly  I  left  for  New  York  via  Boston.  On 
arrival  I  found  neither  goods  nor  letters,  as  had  been  agreed. 
Becoming  suspicious,  I  took  the  first  train  back  to  Providence, 
and  arriving  the'  following  morning,  found  the  store  closed. 
On  inquiry  I  ascertained  that  Kibbe  had  sold  out  the  stock 
to  a  wholesale  grocer  at  a  considerable  discount  for  cash,  and 
had  left  for  parts  unknown.  I  found  about  two  thousand 
dollars'  worth  of  goods  at  the  depot,  which  I  sold — and  then 
followed  his  example. 

The  result  of  this  operation  was,  that  I  left  with  about  the 

same  sum  that  I  had  when  we  started  the  swindle.     This  was 

but  an  example  of  how  swindlers  occasionally  "  beat "  each 

other. 

5 


66  ON   THE    WAR-PATH. 

As  Kibbe  and  myself  were  passing  aloi^  Broad  Street  the 
evening  before  I  left  for  New  York,  he  halted  in  front  of  a 
jewelry  establishment,  and  pointing  out  a  cross  set  with  dia- 
monds said :  "I  am  going  to  have  that ;  just  wait  here  a 
moment."  He  entered  the  place,  and  through  the  window  I 
saw  him  present  our  business  card  to  the  proprietor,  who  then 
came  to  the  window  and  taking  out  the  cross  handed  it  to 
him.  "  The  Rogue,"  after  a  little  delay,  came  out,  and  show- 
ing me  the  cross  exclaimed  triumphantly  :  "  Everything  is 
lovely,  and  the  goose  hangs  high ;  he  is  coming  down  to  the 
office  in  a  few  days  to  get  a  check  in  payment  for  this  $400 
cross."  As  we  had  closed  our  place  of  business  before  he 
came,  not  again  to  reopen,  it  is  superfluous  to  remark  that 
the  jeweler  called  in  vain  for  the  check. 

Kibbe,  having  "  left  me  in  the  lurch,"  as  stated,  in  com- 
pany with  a  friend  I  started  on  a  hunt  to  find  him  and  make 
him  disgorge  the  $20,000,  or  all  he  had.  We  first  went  to  New 
York,  but  could  find  no  trace  of  him  anywhere  in  the  city.  I 
now  procured  a  false  beard  for  my  friend,  and  having  shaved  off 
my  own,  we  thought  ourselves  so  thoroughly  disguised  that 
Kibbe  could  not  reco2:nize  us.  We  took  the  Hudson  River 
steamer  for  Albany ;  but  there  we  could  see  nothing  that  looked 
like  a  bogus  commission  office.  Our  plan  was  to  go  through  the 
business  streets,  and  wherever  we  saw  a  new  sign  to  satisfy 
ourselves  that  Kibbe  had  nothing  to  do  with  it ;  also  to  visit 
the  principal  hotels  at  the  dinner-hour  and  watch,  one  of  us 
the  public,  the  other  the  private  entrance.  Finding  no  clue 
in  Albany,  we  decided  to  start  for  New  Orleans  via  Buffalo, 
Cleveland,  Toledo,  Detroit,  Chicago,  and  St.  Louis.  We 
stopped  over  at  Rochester  and  one  or  two  other  of  the  larger 
places  on  the  line  of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad,  at  length 
reaching  Buffalo.  In  passing  along  Main  Street  I  suddenly 
exclaimed : 

"  Hello !    see   that   new  sign   across   the   street,  '  Henry 
Harvey  Short  &  Co.'     I  think  it  has  a  Kibbe  look." 

"  Oh,  don't  flatter  yourself  with  any  such  good   luck," 
replied  my  friend. 


SLIPPERY  AS  EVER.  57 

"  Well,  let  us  make  an  investigation  of  the  establishment," 
said  I.  We  soon  fomicl  a  suitable  place  for  him  to  put  on  his 
false  beard,  and  he  started  on  a  reconnoitering  expedition, 
while  I  remained  at  some  distance  away,  but  yet  in  sight  of 
the  suspected  place.  He  went  into  the  store,  and  very  soon 
came  back  and  joined  me. 

"  Well,  friend,  what  did  you  see  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  saw  no  sign  of  Kibbe,"  he  replied ;  "  but  there  was  a 
young  man  sitting  in  the  office,  who  pretended  to  be  very 
busy  writing  when  he  saw  me  enter.  There  was  a  set  of  new 
books,  and  the  place  had  a  new  look  all  around.  The  store 
runs  back  to  the  next  street,  and  is  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  deep,  with  no  merchandise  in  it." 

"  Very  well,  my  boy,"  said  I ;  "it  is  now  one  o'clock,  and 
the  young  man  will  soon  be  going  out  to  lunch,  and  if  he  is 
with  Kibbe,  will  go  to  meet  him,  for  he  seldom  goes  to  his 
place  of  business.  You  keep  me  in  sight,  and  when  the  young 
man  comes  out  I  will  follow  him." 

I  had  not  waited  long  before  the  young  man  came  out  of 
the  store  and  went  straight  to  Bonney's  Hotel,  which  was  at 
that  time  a  high-class  confmercial  place.  After  he  had  dis- 
appeared within,  I  walked  carelessly  into  the  office,  examined 
the  register,  and  thouo-ht  one  of  the  names  entered  looked 
like  Kibbe's  writing.  I  left  the  hotel,  and  sent  back  my 
friend  to  inquire  if  Mr.  Kibbe  was  in.  The  hotel  clerk  said 
he  thought  not.  I  afterwards  learned  from  Kibbe  himself 
that  he  was  at  that  identical  moment  in  the  dining-room,  and 
that  as  soon  as  my  friend  had  retired,  the  clerk  went  into  the 
dining-room  and  whispered  to  him  that  a  suspicious-looking 
man  with  a  bushy  beard  had  just  inquired  for  him. 

In  the  meantime  I  had  hastened  to  the  police  headquarters 
near  by,  and  .got  a  detective  to  come  with  me  to  the  hotel. 
When  we  arrived,  he  went  into  the  office,  while  I  hurried  to 
the  corner,  where  I  could  watch  the  door  of  the  private 
entrance  Just  as  I  reached  the  corner,  I  saw  Kibbe  step 
out  and,  without  seeing  me,  hasten  down  the  side  street  in 


(53  ''THE  ROGUE''    OUT-WINDED. 

the  opposite  direction.  I  ran  and  called  the  detective,  who 
rushed  around  the  corner  after  him  —  my  friend  and  I  acting 
as  Kibbe's  rear  guard  on  the  "  double  quick,"  he  having  about 
one  square  the  start.  It  was  a  quiet  part  of  the  city,  and  as 
there  were  but  few  people  in  the  streets,  we  had  the  fun  all 
to  ourselves.  Fun !  Well,  some  people  might  call  it  fun ; 
but,  although  in  those  days  I  had  good  wind  and  speed,  for  a 
long  time  it  was  all  I  could  do  to  hold  my  own  with  the 
quarry.  The  detective  was  a  short,  stumpy  man,  and  as  I 
passed  him  he  was  blowing  like  a  porpoise.  After  a  mile  or 
so  I  caught  up  with  "  The  Rogue,"  who  had  given  out,  ex- 
hausted.    I  said  to  him  : 

''  Kibbe,  you  served  me  a  dirty  trick  after  my  bringing 
you  the  five  hundred  dollars  for  the  Baltimore  job,  when  you 
know  I  could  have  kept  it  all !  You  had  better  settle  at  once, 
before  the  officer  comes  up,  or  it  will  be  worse  for  you!" 

"  George,"  he  replied,  in  the  most  cringing,  cowardly 
manner,  "  I  have  only  six  hundred  dollars  by  me.  I  will 
give  you  that  amount,  if  you  will  let  me  go,  and  settle  the 
balance  to-morrow." 

"  I  don't  believe  you,"  I  replied.  "  You  have  the  money ; 
it  is  in  the  breast-pocket  of  your  vest.  Don't  I  know  some- 
thing of  your  ways  and  your  rascality  ?  " 

But  he  insisted  that  he  had  but  the  sum  named.  My 
friend  and  the  detective  now  came  up.  I  told  the  detective 
that  the  man  owed  me  a  large  sum,  and  that  he  was  trying 
to  put  me  off  with  six  hundred  dollars,  which  I  would  not 
accept.  At  this  time  I  was  an  "innocent"  regarding  the 
ways  of  so-called  detectives.  While  we  were  walking  to 
headquarters,  Kibbe  was  in  great  consternation.  On  our 
arrival  there  I  still  refused  to"  settle  with  him  for  the  six 
hundred  dollars,  and  he  at  last  offered  to  go  with  me  to  a 
friend  of  his  and  borrow  the  balance.  In  the  meantime  the 
detective  had  a  consultation  with  the  chief -of -police,  in  his 
private  office.  They  then  came  into  the  room  where  we  were, 
and  when  I  explained  what  Kibbe  had  offered  to  do,  the  chief 


A   '' LEATHER Y"   EJECTMENT.  69 

said :  "  We  want  our  commission,  and  the  best  ^vay  is  to  let 
the  officer  go  with  him,  while  you  wait  here."  I  at  once 
acceded  to  the  arrangement.  Kibbe  and  the  detective  left, 
and  in  half  an  hour  the  latter  came  back  alone  and  went 
direct  into  the  chiefs  office.  In  a  few  minutes  they  came  out, 
and  I  asked,  "  Where  is  Kibbe  ?"  The  chief  answered  :  "  He 
has  gone  where  he  likes,  and  you  had  better  do  the  same  at 
once,  or  we  will  show  you  what  it  is  to  get  us  to  arrest  a  man 
without  a  warrant.  Come,  clear  out  —  quick  !  "  I  arose  and 
started  to  leave,  he  following  me,  and  as  I  reached  the  door, 
literally  kicked  me  out.  Such  an  indignity  had  never  been 
put  upon  me  before  —  or  behind.  Considering  the  circum- 
stances, I  saw  that  this,  was  another  occasion  where  discretion 
was  the  better  part  of  valor,  and  therefore  my  friend  and  I 
quietly  walked  away.  I  was  beginning  to  reap  some  of  the 
harvest  which  surely  ripens  for  all  who  enter  into  the  con- 
scienceless strife  for  gold,  more  gold. 

We  read  traditions  in  the  storied  page 
Whicli  give  us  glimpses  of  a  better  age  — 
That  fabled  time  when,  in  the  daj'^s  of  old, 
'T  is  said  men  had  no  raging  thirst  for  gold; 
But,  when  all  ancient  history  we  read. 
We  find  them  tainted  by  the  same  fierce  greed 
That  now-a  days  sends  thousands,  in  despair, 
To  prison  cells,  and  all  the  tortures  there, 
Because,  in  their  engrossing  strife  for  wealth, 
They  lost  life's  truest  aims  and  moral  health. 
Alas !  't  is  fearful  madness,  madness  wild  — 
In  strife  for  gold  to  be  misled,  defiled. 

My  friend  and  I  immediately  began  anew  our  search  for 
"  The  Rogue,"  resolved  that  when  once  more  in  our  power,  we 
would  employ  no  detective.  We  visited  the  store  of  Henry 
Harvey  Short  &  Co.,  and  interviewed  the  young  man,  whom 
we  discovered  was  the  owner  of  the  triple  name.  I  at  once  re- 
vealed the  story  of  my  acquaintance  with  Kibbe  and  its  sequel. 
I  informed  the  youth  that  he  was  being  used  for  a  tool,  as 
I  had  been,  and  that  I  had  no  doubt  it  was  "  The  Ro^'ue's  " 
intention  to  gather  up  all  the  proceeds  of  the  swindle,  and 


70  ^^  CANADA. 

leave  him  in  the  lurch.  It  was  not  long  before  I  won  his  con- 
fidence completely,  and  he  told  me  his  story  in  substance  as 
follows : 

"  My  father  carries  on  the  painting  business  in  the  city  of 
Brooklyn,  and  is  now  a  man  of  some  property.  He  gave  me 
a  good  education  and  on  leaving  school  got  me  a  place  as 
assistant  bookkeeper  in  New  York.  I  got  on  very  well  for 
three  or  four  years,  until  I  fell  in  with  a  set  of  fast  young- 
fellows,  stayed  out  late  nights,  visited  the  theaters,  billiard- 
rooms,  and  other  places  less  respectable.  To  cut  the  story 
short,  my  employers  became  tired  of  my  lax  way  of  doing 
work,  and  after  repeated  warnings,  discharged  me.  I  had 
been  living  at  home  some  months  when  I  met  Kibbe  at  a  bil- 
liard-room, and  he  told  me  if  I  would  come  out  here  with 
him,  I  should  make  a  good  many  thousand  dollars,  without 
risk,  in  a  few  weeks." 

The  young  man  having  informed  me  that  "  The  Rogue  " 
had  written  him  a  note  asking  him  to  cross  the  Niagara  river 
at  Black  Rock  into  Canada,  and  meet  him  there,  I  persuaded 
Mr.  Henry  Harvey  Short  to  write  an  answer,  stating  that  he 
would  meet  him  across  the  river  next  day.  An  hour  before 
the  time  appointed,  my  friend,  H.  H.  S.,  and  myself  took  the 
street-cars  to  Black  Rock,  crossing  the  river  on  a  ferry-boat. 
While  on  board  the  boat  my  friend  and  I  kept  in  the  cabin, 
our  companion  remaining  outside  on  the  bow.  As  soon  as 
the  boat  touched  the  Canada  shore,  Kibbe  came  out  of  a  house 
near  the  landing  to  meet  his  partner,  who  said  to  him  as  my 
friend  and  I  approached,  "  Mr.  Bidwell  and  a  friend  have 
come  over  with  me,  for  I  thought  it  best  that  you  should  see 
them  and  settle." 

Kibbe  looked  scared  and  disconcerted,  but  stood  his  ground. 

I  asked  him  "  How  did  you  arrange  matters  with  the 
detective  ?  " 

"  You  refused  the  six  hundred  dollars,"  replied  Kibbe, 
"  but  as  soon  as  we  were  outside  the  door,  the  officer  said  it 
was  enough  for  him,  and  if  I  would  give  him  the  money,  he 


A   SETTLE  ME  XT.  >J^ 

and  the  chief  would  kick  you  out  of  the  office.  I  thought," 
he  added  with  a  grin,  "  it  was  a  fair  offer,  the  closing  part  of 
it  in  particular,  so  I  handed  it  over  and  came  here  to  keep  out 
of  your  way." 

"  Well,  you  have  thrown  away  six  hundred  dollars  for  the 
luxury  of  having  the  chief  kick  me  out  of  his  office.  Now, 
Mr.  Kibbe,  if  you  don't  settle  at  once  I  shall  return  the  chief's 
compliment  with  interest."  I  knew  where  he  carried  his 
money,  and  he  convinced  me  that  he  had  but  a  little  over  two 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars  on  his  person.  He  then  said : 
"  I  will  give  you  two  thousand  four  hundred  dollars  cash,  and 
turn  over  bills  of  lading  for  goods  now  at  the  depot  and 
wharves  to  the  amount  of  eight  thousand  dollars,  consisting  of 
flour,  beef,  pork,  lard,  oil,  butter,  etc." 

To  this  arrangement  I  agreed,  and  we  all  returned  to  Buf- 
falo. After  arriving  in  that  city  we  concluded  the  business, 
and  the  same  evening  "  The  Rogue  "  and  his  partner  took  the 
train  for  New  York.  The  next  morning  I  got  an  inspector  to 
brand  the  flour,  and  took  his  certificate  of  inspection,  together 
with  samples,  to  a  commission  merchant.  He  took  the  samples 
"  on  change,"  and  returned  in  a  few  moments,  having  sold  the 
entire  lot,  and  upon  being  handed  the  inspector's  certificate, 
he  gave  me  a  check  for  the  whole  amount,  less  his  commis- 
sion. I  got  the  check  cashed  at  five  minutes  to  three.  I 
state  the  time  merely  to  show  that,  had  I  been  five  minutes 
later,  and  obliged  to  stay  over  till  next  day,  it  is  more  than 
likely  I  should  have  had  some  of  the  parties  who  shipped  the 
goods  on  my  hands.  Such  an  occurrence  might  have  cost  me 
all  the  money  in  my  possession. 

I  close  this  chapter  with  a  newspaper  article,  detailing 
a  somewhat  remarkable  series  of  small,  swindling  operations. 

[From  The  Xew  York  Tribune,  1867.] 

FALSE     PRETENCE    EXTRAORDINARY  —  ARREST     OF 
TWO  SKILLFUL  OPERATORS. 

Last  night  Detective  Officer  Richard  Field  apprehended  George 
Hayes  and  John  Howard,  and  took  them  to  the  Leonard  Street 


72  MESSES.  ''HAYES  AND  HOWARD.'' 

police  station,  wliere  they  were  detained  by  Capt.  Petty.  The 
operations  of  these  prisoners  are  the  most  remarkable  that  have  come 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  police  for  many  a  day.  About  two  years 
ago  they  opened  an  office  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Broad  and 
South  Streets,  the  business  being  transacted  under  the  name  of  H. 
K.  Clinton.  Clinton  (alias  Hayes)  purchased  $150  worth  of  carpet- 
ing  of  Messrs.  Humpfell  &  Hamlin,  of  Broadway,  and  of  Messrs. 
Allen  and  Brothers,  of  No.  88  Leonard  Street,  $260  worth  of  silk 
cloaks,  and  these  were  delivered,  with  bill,  at  Clinton's  office.  Of 
course  Clinton  was  not  in  at  the  time  of  the  delivery,  but  would 
return  soon,  and  of  course  Howard  received  the  goods,  and  the 
messengers  who  had  delivered  the  goods  were  requested  to  call 
within  an  hour.  When  they  did  call  they  found  an  empty  room, 
the  goods  having  been  removed  and  the  firm  having  taken  French 
leave.  The  couple  next  opened  shop  at  No.  62  Broadway,  and 
transacted  business  under  the  name  of  W.  A.  Stewart.  While 
here  Hayes  (now  Stewart)  bought  $600  worth  of  furs  of  Mr.  M.  M. 
Backus,  of  No.  532  Broadway,  and  gave  him  a  w^orthless  check 
therefor;  bought  $500  worth  of  cloths  of  Messrs.. Abcrnethy  &  Co., 
of  No.  23  Warren  street,  and  gave  that  firm  a  worthless  check ; 
purchased  wagons  valued  at  $585  of  Messrs.  Brewster  &  Baldwin, 
of  Broadway  and  Tenth  Street,  and  defrauded  them,  and  many  other 
tradesmen  whose  names  have  not  been  made  known.  The  busi- 
ness was  next  resumed  at  No.  81  Beaver  Street,  and  there  the  chief 
was  known  as  Wallace.  They  here  defrauded  Mr.  John  J.  Smith, 
of  No.  183  Broadway,  having  bought  of  him  $1,857  worth  of  umbrel- 
las, and  of  Messrs.  J.  F.  Smith  &  Co.,  of  Broadway  and  Catharine 
Lane,  they  got  $345  worth  of  coach  harness.  Next  they  opened 
an  office  at  No.  15  William  Street,  and  Hayes  became  R.  M.  Kings- 
land,  and  as  such  victimized  Mr.  John  B.  Dunham  of  No.  Ill 
East  Thirteenth  Street,  to  the  tune  of  $1,200  for  pianos,  and 
Messrs.  Betts  &  Nichols  of  No.  349  Broadway,  to  the  amount  of 
$275  for  harness.  Moving  again,  they  adopted  a  new  name,  and 
opened  an  office  at  No.  61  Broadway,  as  W.  S.  Hyatt  &  Co.  Here 
they  defrauded  many  merchants,  among  them  Messrs.  Lacy  & 
Maker,  of  No.  27  Chambers  Street,  $124;  Mr.  M.  A.  Coburn,  of 
No.  152  Fourth  Avenue,  $175,  and  Messrs.  R.  W.  Tinson  &  Co.,  of 
No.  50  Broadway,  $123 

The  next  exploit  of  Hayes  and  Howard  was  at  No.  106  South 


TEE   ''SAME   OLD   COON."  73 

Street,  where  Hayes  became  W.  A.  Stewart.  While  here,  Hayes 
bought  $500  worth  of  harness  of  Messrs.  Townshend,  Baker  &  Co., 
of  No.  46  Lispenard  Street,  and  gave  the  firm  a  worthless  check, 
ordering  the  purchase  packed  and  directed  to  a  firm  in  Texas,  and 
delivered  at  No.  106  South  Street.  But  unluckily  for  Hayes  and 
Howard,  Mr.  Baker  followed  his  harness,  and  finding  everything 
wrong  at  No.  106  South  Street,  sent  his  check  to  bank  to  ascertain 
whether  Hayes's  check  was  good.  On  the  clerk's  return,  the  check 
having  proved  worthless,  Mr.  Baker  seized  his  goods,  and  the  rogues 
fled.  The  firm's  business  was  next  under  the  name  of  William  H. 
Martin,  and  their  office  at  No.  6  South  Street.  W  hile  here,  Hayes 
bought  $500  worth  of  flour  of  the  Messrs.  Hickman,  of  the  New 
York  Flour  Mills,  and  the  flour  was  delivered  to  his  partner,  as 
usual.  But  the  game  was  blocked  there,  and  Hayes,  and  Howard, 
his  partner,  were  arrested.  The  entire  firm  was  indicted  by  the 
grand  jury,  and  six  months  ago  a  bench-warrant  for  their  appre- 
hension was  intrusted  to  Officer  Field;  but  Hayes  and  Howard  kept 
out  of  sight  until  last  night. 

When  captured  in  Bleecker  Street,  near  Wooster,  Hayes  offered 
resistance,  but  the  exhibition  of  a  pistol  quieted  him,  and  changed 
his  tack  to  a  tender  of  his  watch  and  $500  for  his  release,  but 
Officer  Field  chose  to  deliver  him  to  Capt.  Petty. 

Howard  went  quietly  to  the  police  station,  and  sullenly  to  a  cell. 
He  was  once  a  clerk  for  a  Boston  dry  goods  firm.  Hayes  has  been 
in  the  false  pretense  business  in  other  cities,  and  in  this  city  he  has 
disposed  of  large  quantities  of  spurious  bank  notes.  It  is  believed 
that  this  precious  couple  have  defrauded  more  than  one  hundred 
of  our  tradesmen,  always,  either  by  worthless  checks,  or  by  having 
goods  dehvered  at  their  office,  wherever  it  happened  to  be,  and 
removing  them  therefrom  as  above  described.  They  are  young 
men  of  about  thirty -two  years  of  age,  of  exquisitely  genteel  address, 
and  have  been  boarders  at  our  fashionable  hotels.  Capt.  Petty  will 
detain  the  prisoners  in  the  Leonard  Street  police  station  for  identi- 
fication by  tradesmen  whom  they  have  victimized. 

"It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  explain  that  Clinton,  alias 
Hayes,  alias  Stewart,  was  none  other  than  the  Frank  Kibbe  of 
my  previous  acquaintance. 


Chapter  VII. 


PARTNER-SWINDLING —  "DOCTOR"  SAMUEL  BOLIVAR  —  HOW  HE  "RAISED  THE 
wind"  —  UP  A  TREE  —  THE  WAY  HE  ROPED  IN  GREENHORNS — THE  BOGUS 
REFERENCE  "DEAD  BEAT"  —  JONES'S  GRAND  PIANO — THE  EMPTY  BOX  —  THE 
ELM  CITY  ENTERPRISE  COMES  TO  AN  UNTIMELY  END  —  MUSICAL  "  NOTES  "  — 
DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND  —  BEATEN  BY  AN  EX-ASSOCIATE,  WHO  DISAPPEARS 
INTO  OBSCURITY. 

THE  occurrences  related  in  the  previous  chapter  caused 
considerable  reflection,  and  after  my  return  to  New  York 
I  looked  about  for  openings  into  an  honest  business. 

I  saw  an  advertisement  for  a  "  partner  wanted,  with  five 
thousand  dollars  in  cash."  I  called  at  the  place  designated, 
and  found  a  man  seated  in  an  arm-chair.  He  had  a  long, 
heavy,  brown  beard,  curving  eyebrows,  squinting  bluish  eyes, 
rather  coarse  features,  but  on  the  whole  not  an  unpleasing 
countenance.  He  was  below  the  medium  height,  and  thick- 
set. I  afterwards  found  him  rather  gentlemanly  in  his  address 
when  doing  business,  and  able  to  tell  a  good  story  on  all 
occasions. 

This  man  was  Doctor  Samuel  Bolivar,  as  he  styled  himself. 
He  was  very  free  in  speaking  to  me  of  his  antecedents  after 
we  became  acquainted,  and  t  learned  that  he  and  his  wife 
boarded  up  town  with  a  sister.  Her  house  was  filled  with 
young  medical  students.  Bolivar  had  chummed  in  with  them, 
attended  some  of  the  lectures,  and  on  several  occasions  had 
been  admitted  to  the  wonders  and  horrors  of  the  dissecting- 
room.  On  account  of  an  after  episode  in  the  "  Doctor's  "  life, 
it  may  be  well  for  the  reader  to  bear  in  mind  just  how  he 
obtained  the  handle  to  his  name.  He  was  the  illegitimate  son 
of  a  Massachusetts  man,  and  had  been  left  to  get  through  the 

(74) 


JACK  OF  ALL  TRADES.  7-5 

world  in  his  own  way  ;  and  the  result  was  that  at  thirty,  when 
I  met  him,  he  possessed  an  amount  of  self-esteem,  assurance, 
and  impudence,  that  quite  astounded  me.  He  had  been  every- 
thing, and  nothing  very  long.  As  a  lad,  he  was  a  farmer's 
boy,  match-peddler,  newsboy,  and  bootblack.  A  little  later 
he  became  a  canal  driver,  then  attempted  to  become  a  circus 
tumbler  ;  and  when  that  aspiration  was  squelched  by  an  invol- 
untary double  somersault,  which  landed  him  on  his  head  and 
left  a  twist  in  his  neck,  he  turned  printer's  devil.  While  per- 
forming the  duties  of  this  black  art,  he  took  to  study,  and 
picked  up  considerable  knowledge  of  the  art  entitled  "  How  to 
get  into  business  on  a  small  capital."  After  various  experi- 
ences and  adventures  in  his  native  New  England,  at  the  age 
of  twenty  he  landed  in  New  York,  where  he  believed  the  goal 
of  his  ambition  was  in  plain  view.  The  "  Doctor  "  had  many 
excellent  qualities,  was  a  tender,  considerate  husband  and 
father,  amiable,  generous,  and  faithful  to  his  friends,  but  he 
was  blind  to  the  moral  obliquity  involved  in  easing  strangers 
of  their  surplus  money  by  sharp  practice.  I  say  strangers, 
for  swindlers  of  his  class  are  usually  as  scrupulous  in  their 
dealings  with  each  other,  or  rather  when  they  unite  together 
to  "  beat "  outsiders,  as  any  class  of  business  men.  But  gen- 
erally spealdng  there  is  not  much  of  the  "  honor  among 
thieves  "  left  of  which  we  used  to  read  in  novels. 

Bolivar  informed  me  that  he  knew  of  a  flourishing  business 
to  be  sold,  and  having  but  five  thousand  dollars,  which  was 
not  sufficient  capital  to  make  the  purchase,  he  wished  to  find 
a  good  man  to  join  him  as  partner.  I  told  him  that  if  the 
affair  would  bear  investigation,  I  was  ready  to  invest  the  nec- 
essary amount. 

The  fact  that  a  man  was  willing  to  put  in  capital  himself, 
naturally  gave  me  a  good  impression,  both  of  the  man  and 
the  proposed  business.  He  then  accompanied  me  to  a  large 
retail  grocery  and  provision  store,  and  introduced  me  to  the 
surviving  partner.  He  appeared  to  be  about  sixty  years  of 
age,  worn  and  sickly.    On  an  examination  of  his  books,  I  found 


76  ^  BEAR  STORY. 

that  the  business  was  really  in  a  flourishing  condition.  He 
stated  that  since  his  partner's  death,  he  had  concluded 
to  retire  from  business  altogether.  The  price  of  his  lease, 
fixtures,  two  horses  and  wagons,  and  the  stock  necessary  to 
keep  the  business  going,  would  be  about  ten  or  twelve  thou- 
sand dollars.  He  had  made  an  offer  to  Bolivar,  Avhich  would 
give  him  a  good  business  at  a  bargain. 

So  far,  all  seemed  as  satisfactory  as  possible ;  Bolivar 
gave  me  references,  who  spoke  well  of  him,  but  knew  nothing 
as  to  his  means.  As  a  precaution,  I  sent  a  friend  to  the  place, 
who,  accosting  the  proprietor,  told  him  he  was  looking  around 
to  find  a  good  business  for  sale,  and  thought  he  might  perhaps 
know  of  one.  He  was  informed  that  the  place  he  was  in  was 
for  sale,  he  himself  intending  to  retire  from  business.  After 
considerable  conversation,  my  friend  asked  the  price  of  the 
place.  The  proprietor  offered  the  place  to  him  as  it  was,  for 
five  thousand  dollars.  When  my  friend  reported,  I  saw  there 
must  be  a  "  take  in  "  somewhere. 

I  called  on  Bolivar  and  said  to  him  :  "  Come,  Doctor,  let  me 
into  your  little  secret,  I  am  myself  involved  in  speculations. 
I  fancy  we  are  both  engaged  in  extracting  an  elixir  from  the 
'  root  of  all  evil '  by  similar  processes." 

After  some  farther  parley,  I  told  him  of  my  friend's  call 
at  the  provision  store.  He  was  at  first  nonplussed,  but  soon 
began  to  laugh,  and  said  : 

"  This  reminds  me  of  a  little  story.  Many  years  ago,  a 
friend  of  mine  went  out  to  the  Rockies  to  make  his  fortune 
by  the  discovery  of  a  gold-mine.  The  first  thing  he  discov- 
ered, after  he  arrived,  was  that  his  pork  and  flour  were  all 
consumed.  He  had  succeeded  so  well  in  isolating  himself, 
that,  with  the  exception  of  his  two  pack-horses,  there  was  not 
a  civilized  living  creature  within  a  circuit  of  one  hundred 
miles.  Taking  his  rifle,  he  started  out  to  kill  anything  edi- 
ble, from  a  rattlesnake  to  a  buffalo,  and  before  going  far  he 
caught  a  glimpse  of  some  animal,  and  fired.  He  said  to  him- 
self as  he  went  through  the  underbrush  in  pursuit :  '  That  is 


PARTNER  nUMBUGGERY. 


77 


a  bear,  and  if  I  can  make  him  take  to  a  tree  he  cannot  escape  ; 
once  treed,  he  is  my  meat,  and  I'm  sure  of  my  dinner.'  Sud- 
denly he  came  to  the  edge  of  a  small  prairie  and  saw  the  bear 
crossing  the  open  space.  He  did  not  know  it  was  a  grizzly, 
and  taking  good  aim  fired  again.  The  grizzly  turned,  reared 
himself  on  his  hind  paws,  and  as  soon  as  he  saw  his  assail- 
ant, dropped  down  on  all  fours  and  '  went  for  him.'  My  friend 
took  in  the  situation,  and  throwing  away  his  gun  ran  straight 
towards  a  tree,  which  he  reached  just  in  time  ;  and  thus, 
instead  of  having  treed  the  bear,  he  was  himself  treed.  Well, 
neighbor,  I  guess  instead  of  treeing  you  as  I  expected,  you 
have  got  me  up  a  tree." 

"  Doctor,  tell  me  how  you  manage  to  make  any  money  out 
of  this  partner  business,"  I  said  to  him  a  few  days  later. 

"  There  are  several  ways  of  operating  by  which  I  rope  in 
greenhorns,"  he  replied ;  "  the  one  I  was  trying  on  you  is  the 
best.  I  find  a  really  paying  business  which  the  owner  is  anx- 
ious to  sell  for  cash.  I  then  ascertain  the  very  lowest  figures 
for  which  he  would  sell  it.  Then,  I  say  :  '  Now,  Mr.  Blank,  I 
can  get  you  a  cash  customer  on  one  condition.  You  say  that 
your  place  is  worth  seven  thousand  dollars,  but  that  you  will 
take  five  thousand  dollars  in  cash.  At  your  highest  estimate 
you  are  not  charging  much  for  your  good  will,  and  you  ought 
to  know  that  the  good  will  of  an  established  trade  is  worth 
more  than  the  fixtures,  lease,  and  stock  in  trade.  Yours  is 
worth  three  thousand  dollars.  That  would  bring  the  value  of 
your  place  up  to  ten  thousand  dollars.  Now,  sir,  you  set 
your  price  at  that  figure ;  I  will  get  a  man  to  go  in  partner- 
ship, who  will  pay  his  half,  and  I  will  give  you  a  check  for 
my  half — five  thousand  dollars  —  which  after  its  delivery  you 
are  to  hand  back  to  me  in  private.' " 

"  So  far,  very  well,  but  in  case  your  profit  is  tied  up  in 
the  business,  and  you  are  bound  to  devote  your  time  to  it, 
what  about  that  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  In  the  course  of  a  month,"  he  replied,  "  I  manage  to 
make  my  partner  dissatisfied  with  me ;  then  I  get  him  to 


78  THE  NEW  HAVEN  STORE. 

make  me  an  offer  of  how  much  he  will  give  or  take.  What- 
ever it  is,  I  accept,  get  all  the  money  I  can  down,  and  make 
an  agreement  secured  by  a  mortgage  on  the  place  for  the 
balance,  in  small  payments.  The  result  is  that  I  get  my  pay 
or  the  place  comes  into  my  hands,  in  which  case  I  have  no 
trouble  to  get  the  money  out  of  it." 

In  return  for  "Doctor"  Samuel  Bolivar's  confidence,  I  re- 
lated to  him  the  little  plans  and  devices  for  getting  other 
people's  money,  into  which  Kibbe  had  initiated  me.  He 
thought  each  one  of  them  a  splendid  way  to  make  a  fortune, 
and  quite  superior  to  his  partnership  operations.  As  a  con- 
sequence he  wished  me  to  go  into  business  with  him,  right 
away. 

It  will  be  perceived  that  from  the  moment  I  gave  way  to 
the  seduction  of  Kibbe's  offer  of  letting  me  make  ^500 
so  easily  and  safely  at  Baltimore,  I  became  an  apt  pupil, 
thinking  to  let  myself  into  such  a  way  of  obtaining  money 
only  so  far  as  to  get  enough  to  enable  me  to  establish  a  legit- 
imate business.  Certainl}^  I  believed  that  one  or  two  months 
would  do  it. 

Not  long  after  our  first  meeting  I  directed  Bolivar  to  hire 
an  office,  or  suite  of  offices,  on  the  ground  floor  at  the  corner 
of  Beaver  and  Broad  Streets.  These  were  tastily  fitted  up 
and  a  large  sign  placed  over  each  front.  After  this,  I  took 
another  man  with  me  to  New  Haven,  Conn.  Before  leaving 
New  York  I  had  purchased  an  old  sign  (I  have  forgotten 
the  name  of  the  firm  on  it — call  it  Smith,  Brown  &  Co.), 
and  shipped  it  to  New  Haven.  On  our  arrival  there,  we 
rented  a  store  and  put  up  the  old  sign. 

Leaving  my  assistant  at  the  New  Haven  store,  I  returned 
to  New  York  and  found  everything  ready  to  begin  opera- 
tions. I  took  the  fourth  and  last  member  of  our  party  —  call 
him  Jones  —  and  went  around  with  him.  When  we  came  to 
a  wholesale  place,  that  I  had  selected  as  likely  to  fill  our 
order,  I  sent  him  in  and  told  him  what  to  buy,  and  to  what 
amount.     I  remained  near  by  while  he  made  the  purchase  in 


JONES   SELECTS  A    GRAND.  79 

the  name  of  the  New  Haven  firm,  of  which  he  claimed  to  be  the 
head.     After  the  purchase  was  completed,  on  the  usual  terms, 

he  gave  as  reference  Messrs.  L &  Co.,  our  bogus  New 

York  firm.     If  any  one  called  on  L &  Co.,  to  inquire  as  to 

the  responsibility  of  the  New  Haven  firm,  Bolivar  would  say, 
"  We  should  not  hesitate  to  ship  them  goods  to  the  amount  of 
15,000  to  810,000,  and  all  their  dealings  with  us  have  been 
satisfactory."  This  was  sufficient  to  cause  the  shipment  of 
the  first  order.  There  is  a  saying  common  among  mer- 
chants, or  was  twenty  years  ago  :  "  A  buyer  who  is  '  crooked ' 
always  pays  his  first  bill  in  order  to  get  a  bigger  shipment 
afterwards."  I  found  the  most  successful  plan  of  merchan- 
dise swindling  was  to  make  but  a  single  purchase,  and  then 
to  convert  the  goods  into  cash  at  once,  or  reship  them  to  a 
place  where  they  could  be  easily  and  safely  disposed  of.  The 
police  are  so  well  posted  on  this  kind  of  swindle  at  the  pres- 
ent day  that  such  an  operation  would  scarcely  be  attempted 
by  the  most  foolhardy  "  crook." 

After  going  around  with  Jones  as  described,  until  he  had 
purchased  from  ten  to  fifteen  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  goods, 
I  concluded  to  stop  at  that.  All  the  purchases  had  been  of 
staple  goods,  such  as  butter,  cheese,  pork,  hams,  sugar,  tea, 
coffee,  etc.  Now  comes  the  funny  part.  Jones  was  some- 
thing of  a  musician,  and  wanted  to  buy  a  piano  to  send  home 
to  his  sister  at  the  old  homestead.  I  said  to  him :  "  These 
piano  dealers  are  being  so  constantly  imposed  upon  by  sharp- 
ers that  they  have  their  eyes  opened  very  wide.  You  can 
much  easier  procure  articles  which  command  ready  money, 
and  pay  cash  for  your  piano."  But  Jones  wanted  a  pialio  at 
the  cost  of  freight  only ;  besides  he  did  not  like  the  idea  of 
paying  for  what  he  believed  he  could  get  for  nothing. 

He  went  to  the  warehouse  of  the  New  York  Piano  Com- 
pany and  selected  one  of  their  grands,  price  81,000,  for  which 

he  tendered  a  draft  at  six  months  on  L <fc  Co.,  the  New 

York  bogus  reference  firm.  This  draft  was  taken  by  the 
treasurer   of    the    Piano    Company   to   L &   Co.,   who 


80  NOTHING  FOR  NOTHING. 

promptly  accepted  it.  As  most  of  the  goods  were  ordered  to 
be  shipped  bj  the  New  Haven  boat,  which  left  Peck  Slip  at 
11  p.  M.,  Jones  and  I  went  there  and  saw  the  piano  and  a 
large  quantity  of  goods  delivered  on  board.  Jones  had  no 
eyes  for  anything  but  the  big  box  containing  "  my  grand 
piano." 

But  my  dear  fellow,  said  I,  "  it  is  not  yet  in  the  old  home- 
stead, and  the  music  to  be  drawn  from  it  may  yet  enliven 
some  other  ears  than  those  of  the  '  old  folks  at  home.'  " 

"  But  haven't  I  given  a  draft  at  six  months,  and  hasn't  it 
been  accepted  ? "  said  he  eagerly. 

There  was  no  use  trying  to  dampen  his  ardor ;  there  was 
the  box  on  which  appeared  his  false  name  in  big  letters.  We 
took  the  cars  for  New  Haven,  in  order  to  be  on  hand  when 
the  boat  arrived.  The  next  morning  we  were  up  bright  and 
early  and  went  to  the  store.  A  few  minutes  after  our  arrival, 
in  came  two  men,  whom  I  felt  sure  were  detectives.  They 
asked  some  questions  about  the  business,  to  which  1  carelessly 
replied  to  the  effect  that  we  were  just  about  opening.  I  paid 
no  further  attention  to  them,  and  they  soon  left.  We  then 
went  to  the  post-office  and  found  letters  containing  invoices 
for  most  of  the  goods  purchased  the  day  before,  also  one  from 
the  managers  of  the  New  York  Piano  Company,  as  follows : 

Messes.  Smith,  Brown  &  Co.,  New  Haven,  Conn. 

Gentlemen:  — A  man  purporting  to  be  Mr.  Smith  of  your  firm 
called  on  us  to-day  and  stated  that  he  was  just  furnishing  his  pri- 
vate residence  in  New  Haven,  and  purchased  from  us  one  of  our 

best  grand  pianos,  giving  a  draft  at  six  months  on  L &  Co.,  of 

this  city.     After  calling  on  L &  Co.,  and  getting  the  draft 

accepted  we  made  some  further  inquires  which  convinced  us  that 
the  location  of  your  Mr.  Smith's  private  residence  must  be,  not 
in  New  Haven  —  but  in  Wethersfield.  [Note  —  the  State's  prison 
is  located  there.]  A  friend  in  New  Haven,  to  whom  we  sent  a  dis- 
patch, rephes:  "No  such  men,  firm,  nor  private  residence  in  New 
Haven."  Concluding  that  you  are  trying  to  ''come  it"  on  us,  we 
beg  to  call  your  attention  to  the  piano-case,  which,  on  opening  you 
will  find  to  contain  the  exact  equivalent  to  your  draft  accepted  by 


JONES  INCONSOLABLE.  §1 

L &  Co.,  viz.  :   $0,000.     This  draft  we  herewith  enclose,   so 

that  if  you  are  dissatisfied  with  our  valuation  of  the  document,  you 
can  reship  us  the  piano-case,  thus  making  matters  square  between 
us  —  saving  the  trouble,  and  say  $4.00  freight  and  cartage  for  the 
empty  case.  Of  course  we  feel  satisfied  as  it  is,  but  will  feel  more 
so,  if  you  choose  to  send  us  the  four  dollars  and  the  case. 

From  the  events  which  followed,  I  have  no  doubt  but  that 
the  manager  of  the  Xew  York  Piano  Company  had  communi- 
cated with  the  New  Haven  chief-of-police.  After  leaving  the 
post-office  I  sent  a  man  to  the  wharf,  and  while  he  was  gone, 
we  found  that  the  two  detectives  were  following  us  about. 
After  the  man  returned,  he  said :  "  I  saw  the  piano  and  a  lot 
of  goods  on  the  wharf,  and  as  soon  as  I  spoke  to  the  freight 
clerk  a  man  came  up  and  asked  if  those  were  my  goods.  I 
said  they  belonged  to  the  firm  in  whose  employ  I  was.  I  then 
asked  the  clerk  for  the  freight  bills,  which  he  gave  me,  saying 
the  piano-case  was  empty." 

After  taking  the  whole  matter  into  consideration,  I  con- 
cluded to  abandon  the  enterprise,  for  I  saw  that  while  there 
would  be  no  trouble  about  getting  the  goods  into  the  store, 
the  moment  I  attempted  to  dispose  of  them  the  detectives 
would  ascertain  the  places  where  they  went.  In  case  I 
reshipped  the  goods,  the  detectives  would  learn  the  addresses 
of  the  consignees,  and  notify  by  telegraph  the  New  York 
creditors,  who  would  arrange  to  have  the  goods  attached  on 
arrival  at  their  destination.  We  waited  until  evening,  and 
then  took  the  train  to  New  York.     The  next  day  I  purchased 

several  bills  of  goods  in  the  name  of  L &  Co.,  which  were 

delivered  in  the  way  before  described,  then  closed  up  the  New 
York  office,  removing  everything  but  the  sign,  and  came  out 
of  the  attempted  big  swindle  with  the  product  of  a  small  one 
—  just  enough  to  cover  expenses. 

Arrived  in  New  York,  Jones  was  inconsolable  at  the  loss 

of  his  piano  —  "My   grand  piano."      "The  scoundrel!"  he 

exclaimed  — "  after  I  had  paid  him  for  it  with  an  accepted 

draft  —  to  play  me  such  a  trick  !     Why,  I  have  been  dreaming 

6 


g2  REPLY  TO   THE  31  AN  AG  ER. 

nothing  but  new  music  ever  since  I  set  eyes  on  it ;  my  head 
was  an  entire  Italian  opera  company  and  the  Vienna  Opera 
House  Orchestra  combined !  Talk  about  Orpheus  and  Eury- 
dice !  the  Furies  resisting  Orpheus's  entrance  into  Hades ! 
Bah !  When  I  waked  up  this  morning,  I  had  my  head  full  of 
something  that  would  have  cast  all  that  into  the  shade,  and 
could  have  played  it  all  on  my  grand  piano !  And  only  an 
empty  case !  It  is  enough  to  make  a  fellow  tear  his  hair  all 
out ! " 

I  could  only  laugh  and  roar  at  his  rhapsodies  and  lamenta- 
tions. At  last  I  got  breath  to  say  :  "  Oh,  Jones,  my  boy,  do 
stop,  or  you  will  be  guilty  of  homicide !  Don't  you  see  that 
it  is  only  a  case  of  diamond  cut  diamond  ?  They  have  been 
too  sharp  for  us ;  that 's  all." 

After  my  friend  Jones  had  recovered  from  the  first  effects 
of  his  disappointment,  I  sat  down  and  wrote  a  letter  substan- 
tially as  follows : 

Manager  New  York  Piano  Company: 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  take  the  utmost  pleasure  in  handing  you  the 
enclosed  four  dollars,  which  you  say  will  make  you  ^'feel  more  so," 
i.  e.,  quite  satisfied  regarding  your  transaction  with  the  late  firm  of 
Smith,  Brown  &  Co.  of  New  Haven,  Conn. 

As  I  wish  to  keep  the  document  you  enclosed,  I  adopt  your 
suggestion  as  to  the  piano-case,  and  have  sent  an  order  to  the  wharf 
agent  in  New  Haven  to  resliip  it  to  your  address.  As  to  my  friend 
Mr.  Smith,  alias  Jones,  alias  Brown,  alias  anything,  you  are  not  so 
far  out  of  the  way  about  the  location  of  his  private  residence  —  that 
is  to  say,  you  are  only  a  few  months  behind,  as  he  left  Wethersfield 
less  than  a  year  ago.  There  is  some  excuse  to  be  made  for  his 
error  regarding  "  the  fine  New  Haven  residence  "  in  which  he  was 
about  to  place  the  grand  piano.  It  is  this:  He  has  an  extremely 
strong  imagination,  and  no  sooner  had  he  run  his  fingers  over  the 
keys  of  your  fine  instrument  than  he  saw  it  all  —  the  fine  residence, 
elegant  furniture,  pictures  by  the  old  masters,  and  everything  heart 
could  wish,  except  a  grand  piano.  Now,  sir,  let  me  congratulate 
you  on  the  good  taste  and  artistic  appreciation  of  the  state  of  affairs 
which  led  you  to  send  him  an  imaginary  grand  piano.     He  does  not 


FROTHINGHAM'S  FRAUD.  83 

just  yet  appreciate  the  action  in  its  true  light,  but  I  have  no  doubt 

he  will  do  so  as  he  recovers  from  the  paroxysm  brought  on  by  his 

disappointment.     I  am,  sir,  your  disappointed 

Customer. 

Four  or  five  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  goods  had  been 
shipped  by  rail,  and  were  lying  at  the  freight  station  in  New 
Haven.  I  thought  that  the  detectives  were  so  deeply  engaged 
watching  the  goods  at  the  steamboat  wharf  that  those  at  the 
railway  station  would  remain  unnoticed.  Therefore  I  went 
to  one  Frothingham,  who  had  been  a  salesman  in  the  grocery 
house  with  me  —  a  man  with  no  particular  conscience  as  to 
how  he  made  money,  so  long  as  he  kept  out  of  the  clutches 
of  law — and  told  him  about  the  goods,  offering  him  one-half 
the  proceeds  of  their  sale  if  he  would  take  an  order,  run  up 
to  New  Haven,  and  reship  them  to  New  York.  He  accepted 
my  offer,  went  to  New  Haven  the  next  morning,  returning 
the  same  afternoon,  and  coming  to  meet  me  at  the  Inter- 
national Hotel,  Park  Row,  said  : 

"  Well,  you  have  got  me  into  a  pretty  scrape  !  As  soon  as 
I  presented  the  order  signed  Smith,  Brown  &  Co.,  I  was 
arrested,  and  had  to  let  them  know  who  I  was.  Then  I  could 
not  get  off  without  paying  the  detective  fifty  dollars,  and  as  I 
had  but  twenty,  I  had  to  get  him  to  come  to  New  York  with 
me.  He  is  waiting  over  at  the  Astor  House  for  me  to  return 
and  pay  him  the  thirty  dollars." 

Without  thinking,  I  gave  him  the  sum  demanded,  and  he 
departed ;  but  after  considering  the  matter,  I  concluded  that 
his  entire  story  was  false,  and  that  he  had  really  obtained 
the  goods,  taking  that  method  to  throw  off  suspicion  of  his 
transaction. 

Some  time  after,  I  was  in  Albany,  and  calling  on  a  liquor- 
dealer  who  I  knew  was  a  friend  of  Frothingham's,  I  said  : 

"  Mr.  F wished  me  to  call  and  get  a  sample  of  the  whisky 

he  sent  you  the  other  day  to  sell  for  him."  The  dealer  said, 
"Allf'ight,"  took  me  up  stairs,  and  showed  me  all  the  casks 
of  liquor  and  oil  for  which  I  had  uiven  Frothinii'ham  an  order. 


84 


A  PENNY-DIP   GOES  OUT. 


This  man  was  at  the  time  connected  with  a  wholesale  grocery 
house  in  New  York. 

Since  my  return  from  England  I  have  visited  the  quarter 
in  New  York  where,  as  previously  related,  I  had  been  engaged 
in  the  grocery  trade.  Nearly  all  the  old  firms  had  disap- 
peared, but  after  looking  about  I  discovered  two  old  grocery 
men,  from  whom,  among  other  things,  I  ascertained  that 
Frothingham's  conscienceless  sharpness  had  never  carried 
him  higher  than  the  position  of  a  salesman,  and  that  for  a 
few  years  past  he  has  disappeared  into  such  complete  obscurity 
that  my  informant  did  not  know  what  had  become  of  him. 


Chapter  VIII. 


IN  THE  TOBACCO  BUSINESS  AT  WHEELING,  WEST  VIRGINIA  —  ELDRIDGE  AND  THE 
CUMBERLAND  SWINDLE  —  ELDRIDGE'S  ARREST  —  POST  AND  TELEGRAPH  OFFICES 
"  WORKED  "  — A  "  HEADER  "  OUT  OF  A  CAR  WINDOW,  AND  ESCAPE  IN  IRONS — AN 
ANGEL  IN  THE  WILDERNESS  —  A  "RISE  "  TAKEN  OUT  OF  PENDER —  ELDRIDGE 
RE-ARRESTED  AND  LODGED    IN  W^HEELING  JAIL. 

SOME  months  after  the  occurrences  last  recorded,  I  left  the 
home  where  I  was  living  happily  with  wife  and  child, 
having  arranged  with  "  Doctor  "  Samuel  Bolivar  to  go  West  in 
search  of  a  good  place  to  open  a  swindling  commercial  house. 

Right  here  let  me  explain  that  during  all  this  time,  I 
deceived  and  studiously  kept  my  wife  in  ignorance  of  the  true 
nature  of  my  business. 

Young  man !  if  you  are  in  possession,  as  I  was,  of  Heav- 
en's choicest  blessing,  a  good  wife;  reveal  all  your  troubles  to 
her,  and  make  her  your  confidant  in  business  affairs. 

Bolivar  and  I  were  unsuccessful  until  we  reached  Wheel- 
ing, W.  Ya. ;  there  we  found  a  wholesale  tobacco  business, 
which  had  been  conducted  by  Mr.  Ott,  who  had  reduced  his 
stock,  and  was  about  to  close  up  that  he  might  give  his  entire 
attention  to  the  hardware  establishment  which  came  into  his 
hands  by  the  death  of  his  father.  The  "  Doctor  "  and  I  pur- 
chased the  stock  and  goods  on  thirty  days'  time  without  being 
asked  for  any  references,  intending  of  course,  to  obtain  all  the 
goods  we  could  within  the  month  and  then  to  leave.  We 
ordered  a  considerable  quantity  of  tobacco  from  the  manu- 
facturers of  whom  Mr.  Ott  had  purchased  ;  this  was  promptly 
shipped,  and  it  would  have  been  well  with  us  had  we  adhered 
to  our  original  purpose  of  running  the  place  but  for  a  month, 
or  less.     We  sent  out  a  young  man,  who  had  been  in   Mr. 

(85) 


8^  THE  FATAL   TEA-CHEST. 

Ott's  employ,  to  travel  for  orders  among  the  old  customers 
of  the  house.  Our  firm  was  S.  S.  Bovar  &  Co.,  I  was  known 
by  the  name  of  Cole,  and  Bovar  was  the  French  form  of  the 
name  of  my  partner. 

Before  the  end  of  the  month  we  found  we  were  engaged  in 
a  really  good  and  profitable  trade,  and  began  to  regret  that 
we  had  not  gone  into  it  under  our  right  names.  Had  we  done 
so,  we  might  have  taken  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  settle 
down  into  permanent  business,  which  through  all  had  been  my 
ultimate  aim.  We  gave  up  our  original  plan  and  deter- 
mined to  keep  on  for  a  time,  hoping  to  find  a  solution  to  the 
difficulty.  At  the  expiration  of  the  month  we  paid  Mr.  Ott 
in  full  as  agreed. 

Shortly  after  this  a  man,  represented  by  his  business  card 
to  be  "  J.  M.  Eldridge,  dealer  in  Choice  Groceries,  Teas,  etc., 
Cumberland,  Md.,"  went  to  Baltimore  and  purchased  goods  at 
several  wholesale  houses. 

The  orders  were  promptly  shipped,  and  in  three  or  four 
days  he  had  received  nearly  $4,000  worth  of  teas,  sugar,  etc. 
He  sold  the  sugar  in  Cumberland,  but  not  finding  a  ready  sale 
for  the  tea,  he  reshipped  it  to  Wheeling,  to  which  place  he 
then  came.  Offering  it  at  a  low  price  I  purchased  it  for  S.  S. 
Bovar  &  Co.,  taking  an  invoice  which  he  receipted.  We 
shipped  it  by  steamer  to  Bishop  &  Co.,  wholesale  grocers, 
Cincinnati,  with  whom  we  had  an  account,  to  be  sold  and 
credited  to  us.  One  fatal  chest,  however,  was  retained  in  our 
store.  Eldridge  also  sold  us  a  lot  of  tobacco,  which  we  added 
to  our  stock. 

It  appears  that  he  had  not  paid  for  these  goods,  and  after 
waiting  a  little  time  for  the  expected  remittances,  the  Balti- 
more firms  became  suspicious  that  all  was  not  right,  and  sent 
an  agent  to  Cumberland.  This  agent  had  not  much  difficulty 
in  ascertaining  that  something  was  really  wrong,  but  could 
find  nothing  of  Eldridge  or  the  goods  shipped  to  him.  At  last 
he  discovered  that  a  lot  of  teas,  corresponding  in  number  of 
chests  to  those  sold  by  his  firm  to  Eldridge,  had  been  reshipped 


A   CRIME  FOR  A   CRIME.  gj 

to  Wheeling.  He  at  once  came  on  to  that  city,  and  being  a 
shrewd,  sharp  individual,  soon  traced  them  to  our  store.  Then 
he  made  inquiries  regarding  the  house  of  S.  S.  Bovar  &  Co., 
and  could  only  learn  that  the  members  of  the  firm  appeared  to 
be  good  men,  and  paid  their  bills.  Supposing  the  teas  to  be  still 
in  our  store,  procuring  a  writ  of  replevin  and  a  search-warrant, 
he  came  with  a  constable  and  obtained  the  single  chest  of  tea 
so  thoughtlessly  retained.  This  encouraged  the  constable, 
Pender,  to  undertake  a  little  ni  the  detective  line.  He  ar- 
ranged with  the  Wheeling  postmaster  to  deliver  to  him  all 
our  letters,  which  he  opened  by  steaming,  and  after  reading 
returned  them  to  the  postmaster,  who  then  put  them  in  our 
box.  As  these  bore  no  evidence  of  irregular  treatment  we  did 
not  suppose  they  had  been  tampered  with.  The  postmaster 
committed  a  felony  against  the  United  States  postal  laws  —  a 
State's  prison  offense  —  in  order  to  uncover  what  was  at  that 
time  (1864)  a  simple  misdemeanor,  the  penalty  of  which  was 
confinement  in  the  county  jail. 

The  constable  Pender  then  went  to  the  telegraph  office  and 
arranged  with  the  superintendent  for  a  copy  of  all  dispatches 
addressed  to  S.  S.  Bovar  &  Co.,  or  to  Bovar  or  Cole.  This 
was  a  mode  of  uncovering  fraudulent  operations  at  that  time 
new  to  me,  and  against  which  I  naturally  took  no  precautions. 
In  the  meantime  Eldridge  had  gone  to  some  place  in  Ohio, 
but  kept  up  a  correspondence  with  me  at  Wheeling.  Of  course 
his  letters  addressed  to  me  (Cole),  care  of  S.  S.  Bovar  &  Co., 
fell  into  Pender's  hands,  giving  him  the  whereabouts  of  the 
writer.  Pender  at  once  went  to  the  Governor  of  West  Vir- 
ginia, who  resided  in  Wheeling,  at  that  time  the  capital  of  the 
State,  procured  a  requisition  on  the  Governor  of  Ohio,  went  on 
to  Columbus,  had  his  papers  signed,  and  the  proper  warrant 
issued  by  the  Governor.  He  then  proceeded  to  the  town 
where  Eldridge  was  staying,  caused  his  arrest,  and  after  put- 
ting on  hand-cuffs,  took  him  on  board  the  t^in  bound  for 
Wheeling.  Eldridge  was  gentlemanly  in  his  manners,  of  a 
generous    and   sociable    disposition,    one  who    made   friends 


g§  LIBERTY   OR  DEATH. 

everywhere,  especially  since  he  had  been  able  to  procure  plenty 
of  other  people's  money  to  spend.  They  were  not  long  in  the 
train  before  he  had  quite  gained  the  confidence  of  Pender,  but 
not  sufficiently  enough  to  induce  him  to  remove  the  hand- 
cuffs. After  passing  the  town  of  Belmont,  Ohio,  Pender  went 
to  the  rear  of  the  car  for  some  purpose,  Eldridge  sprang  to 
to  his  feet,  raised  the  car  window  and  threw  himself  out  head- 
long. The  train  was  running  about  twenty  miles  an  hour, 
and  Eldridge  after  rolling  over  two  or  three  times  regained 
his  feet,  and  found  that  although  he  had  received  a  good  shak- 
ing up,  no  bones  were  broken.  The  reader  may  think  that 
such  a  leap  in  handcuffs  could  not  be  taken  without  serious 
results,  but  in  the  course  of  my  story  I  shall  give  the  cases  of 
two  men,  one  of  them  handcuffed,  who  leaped  from  trains  in 
England  going  at  the  rate  of  more  than  forty  miles  an  hour. 
Both  of  these  men  I  became  subsequently  acquainted  with  in 
Woking  prison,  and  heard  the  remarkable  story  of  their  lives 
from  their  own  lips. 

As  soon  as  Eldridge  shook  himself  toa'ether  he  started  as 
fast  as  he  could  go  across  the  country.  Pender  had  taken 
the  precaution  to  strip  him  of  his  money,  watch,  and  other 
valuables,  but  he  was  happy  to  escape,  handcuffed  and  mone}^- 
less  as  he  was.  Every  effort  to  free  himself  from  the  irons 
proved  unavailing,  and  after  walking  through  the  woods  all 
niQ'ht  lono'  he  came  to  a  clearing:  and  in  siu'lit  of  a  comfort- 
able  log  farm-house,  about  sunrise.  He  secreted  himself  in  a 
clump  of  bushes  at  the  edge  of  the  clearing,  and  watched  until 
the  farmer  came  out  with  his  axe  and  dinner-basket  and 
went  into  the  woods.  In  a  short  time  Eldridge  heard  the 
steady  strokes  of  an  axe,  apparently  half  a  mile  distant.  He 
managed  to  tear  off  a  portion  of  his  shirt  and  wrap  it  around 
his  hands,  concealing  the  handcuffs,  then  went  boldly  toward 
the  house  and  pleasantly  accosted  the  woman  who  stood  at 
the  door  surrounded  by  her  children,  as  afterwards  detailed 
by  himself : 

"  Good  morning,  madam.  You  are  no  doubt  surprised 
to  see  a  stranger  in  such  a  condition  as  I  am  at  present." 


''SWEET  CHARTTYr  89 

"  Poor  man,"  replied  the  woman,  "  what  is  the  matter  ? 
Come  in  and  rest  yourself.     Have  vou  hurt  your  hand  ? " 

"  The  fact  is,  my  dear  madam,"  replied  Eldridge,  "  I  am 
the  victim  of  unfortunate  circumstances.  My  father,  at  his 
death,  left  me  a  large  amount  of  property.  Some  of  my 
envious  relatives,  by  misrepresentation  and  the  bribery  of 
dishonest  physicians,  had  me  pronounced  insane,  and  an 
order  issued  to  place  me  in  the  County  Insane  Asylum.  They 
were  taking  me  there  yesterday,  handcuffed,  but  as  I  had 
rather  die  than  go  to  such  a  place,  I  seized  an  opportunity  to 
jump  out  of  the  car  window,  and  have  been  in  the  woods  all 
night.     Just  look  at  my  hands  !  " 

The  good  woman  had  listened  attentively  to  Eldridge's 
piteous  story,  and  when  he  held  up  his  hands,  all  swollen 
and  bleeding  from  the  cruel  irons,  she  was  utterly  horrified, 
and  moved  to  that  deep  compassion  which  is  so  characteristic 
of  her  sex  the  world  over.  She  hastened  to  bring  a  hammer, 
a  flatiron,  and  a  file.  With  these  she  quickly  removed  the 
irons  from  his  wrists,  and  then  cooked  for  him  a  generous 
breakfast.  During  his  stay,  this  angel  of  the  wilderness 
mended  his  clothes  neatly,  put  a  silver  dollar  into  his  hand 
at  parting,  and  he  left  this  humble  home  in  the  woods  in  a 
comfortable  condition. 

If  this  good  woman  be  still  living,  she  may  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  read  this  record  of  her  own  sweet  charity  dispensed 
long  years  ago  to  a  suffering  man,  whose  sins  she  could  know 
nothing  of. 

He  now  for  the  first  time  since  his  escape  knew  exactly 
where  he  was,  and  was  able  in  the  course  of  the  day  to  reach 
the  town  of  Steubenville  on  the  Ohio  River,  which  is  less  than 
fifty  miles  from  Wheeling.  It  was  a  great  wonder  to  him 
how  Pender  had  ascertained  his  whereabouts,  never  dreamino- 
that  the  post  and  telegraph  offices  had  been  tampered  with. 
Therefore  he  used  part  of  the  dollar  given  him  by  the  woman 
to  send  a  telegram  to  me  at  Wheeling,  asking  me  to  come  to 
him  with  a  supply  of  money. 


90  RECAPTURED. 

In  the  meantime,  after  a  useless  hunt  for  his  escaped 
prisoner,  Pender  returned  to  Wheeling  very  much  crestfallen ; 
and  throughout  the  next  day  he  was  the  subject  of  numerous 
"  hard  rubs  "  from  some  of  his  friends,  whose  remarks  were 
very  soon  related  to  Eldridge  :  "  Hello,  Pender  !  Have  you 
lost  your  mule  ? "  "  What's  the  price  of  new  handcuffs  ? " 
"  Thought  you  were  too  old  a  head  to  accept  leg  bail !  "  etc., 
etc.  Therefore  it  may  be  supposed  he  was  overjoyed  when  a 
dispatch  addressed  to  me  was  placed  in  his  hands  by  the  tele- 
graph operator.  After  Eldridge  sent  his  dispatch  he  waited 
about  for  the  arrival  of  the  train  which  w^ould  have  brought 
me  to  his  rescue  had  I  received  it.  Instead  of  myself,  Pender 
took  the  train,  and  as  it  drew  up  to  the  platform  he  saw  him 
looking  for  me.  He  left  the  train  and  walking  up  to  him, 
unperceived,  said :  "  Well,  Eldridge,  how  do  you  feel  after 
the  header  ?  I  knew  you  had  no  money,  and  did  not  wish  to 
leave  you  out  in  the  cold  such  weather  as  this." 

Eldridge  turned,  stupefied,  and  before  he  recovered  his 
usual  presence  of  mind  the  handcuffs  were  again  upon  him, 
and  this  time  Pender  succeeded  in  lodging  him  safely  in  the 
county  jail  at  Wheeling,  where  we  leave  him  for  the  present 
to  reflect  over  the  result  of  a  first  step  into  crime.  * 


Chapter  IX. 


MY  ARREST  IN  ETANSTILLE  —  DELIVERED  UPON  A  REQUISITION  CHARGING  ME  WITH 
FELONY  —  TRIED  FOR  MISDEMEANOR  AND  GIVEN  TWO  YEARS  IN  THE  COUNTY 
JAIL  —  UNTEQUAL  SENTENCES  —  A  "  MODEL  "  JAIL  —  ADAMS  EXPRESS  ROBBERS  — 
SHELTON  PLANS  AN  ESCAPE. 

THE  firm  of  S.  S.  Bovar  &  Co.  secured  the  services  of  a 
young  man  named  Wesley,  who  could  be  trusted  to  act 
as  porter.  Of  course  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  manage- 
ment, and  was  not  let  into  the  secrets  of  our  business.  Yet 
it  will  be  seen  that  he  suffered  equally  with  Eldridge,  Bovar, 
and  myself. 

During  all  this  time  we  remained  quietly  in  Wheeling 
attending  to  the  tobacco  business.  Because  of  my  fictitious 
name,  "  Cole,"  I  had  kept  aloof  from  almost  everyone,  and 
made  no  acquaintances  among  the  merchants  and  business 
men,  but  Bovar  had  made  a  great  many.  When  it  became 
known  that  Eldridge  was  arrested,  Bovar  came  to  me  in  a 
panic.  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  think  they  would  dare  to 
molest  us,  and  to  guard  against  any  possibility  I  decided  to 
go  away  for  a  few  days.  I  was  greatly  puzzled  at  the  appar- 
ent ease  with  which  Eldridge  had  been  twice  captured,  hav- 
ing no  suspicion  even  yet  that  the  postal  and  telegraph 
service  had  been  "  worked." 

It  did  not  require  a  great  amount  of  penetration  to  see 
that  matters  were  getting  badly  mixed,  and  I  left  for  Evans- 
ville,  Indiana,  there  to  await  events.  Bovar  was  to  write  or 
telegraph  me  in  case  of  necessity,  and  in  the  course  of  a  day 
or  two  sent  me  a  telegram,  a  copy  of  which  was  at  once  given 
to  Pender,  by  which  means  he  ascertained  my  whereabouts. 
He   telegraphed   to   the   authorities  at  Evansville,  directing 

(01) 


92  ARRESTED   TN  '' HOOSIERDOM.''  . 

them  to  have  me  arrested  (which  was  promptly  done)  and 
held  to  await  a  requisition  on  the  charge  of  felony,  a  charge 
which,  as  will  be  shown,  could  not  be  sustained. 

The  next  day  Pender  arrived  at  Evansville  with  the  requi- 
sition, took  me  in  charge,  and  we  at  once  started  for  Wheeling. 
His  experience  with  Eldridge  had  made  him  cautious,  and  he 
kept  me  handcuffed  during  the  entire  journey.  This  was  my 
first  experience  of  such  an  indignity,  and  I  felt  the  disgrace 
keenly.  Arriving  at  Bellaire,  the  junction  of  the  Baltimore  & 
Ohio  R.  R.  and  the  Wheeling  branch,  we  found  that  we  should 
be  obliged  to  remain  there  over  night.  Pender  secured  lodg- 
ings, or  rather  a  small  bedroom,  and  after  eating  supper  with 
shackled  hands,  I  lay  down  on  the  bed,  while  he  sat  close  by 
me  to  keep  guard.  Neither  of  us  slept  during  the  night,  and 
throughout  the  tedious  hours  I  watched  incessantly  for  a 
chance  t6  regain  my  liberty,  and  he,  suspicious  of  my  inten- 
tion, sat  by  my  bedside  all  night  long  with  a  revolver  in  his 
hand. 

In  the  morning  the  rain  was  pouring  down  in  torrents, 
but  Pender  would  not  wait  for  the  train.  He  hired  a  couple 
of  horses,  which  we  mounted,  and  started  for  Wheeling,  four  or 
five  miles  distant,  I  being  still  handcuffed.  After  a  time  we 
came  to  a  level  section  with  thick  woods  bordering  the  high- 
way. I  formed  a  plan  to  gradually  fall  behind,  and  then  rush 
my  horse  to  the  fence,  leap  off,  climb  over,  and  take  to  the 
woods.  When  about  one  hundred  feet  to  the  rear  —  the  rain 
coming  down  in  "  buckets-full  "  —  I  turned  my  horse's  head 
towards  the  fence,  digging  my  heels  into  his  sides,  but  could 
not  make  him  go  fast.  As  soon  as  Pender  saw  my  move- 
ments, he  whirled  his  horse  around,  and  by  the  time  I  had 
covered  half  the  distance  to  the  fence,  his  horse  had  gained  so 
much  on  the  skeleton  which  carried  me  that  he  was  close 
enough  to  open  fire.  Through  fear  of  hitting  the  horse,  I 
suppose,  his  shots  were  all  too  high.  I  at  last  reached  the 
fence,  but  owing  to  my  shackled  hands  I  could  not  leap  from 
the  horse's  back  directly  over,  and  dismounted  to  climb  it. 


THE  SCAPEGOATS  OF  SOCIETY.  93 

By  this  time  Pender  had  got  close  to  me,  and  I  was  obliged  to 
surrender  or  risk  a  bullet  at  a  yard's  distance.  Well,  I  sur- 
rendered !  During  the  rest  of  our  journey,  amid  pouring  rain, 
he  kept  me  just  in  front  of  him,  and  in  another  hour  I  was 
lodged  in  the  same  den  with  Eldridge. 

This  success  emboldened  the  creditors  of  Eldridge  to  arrest 
Bovar  and  Wesley  at  the  store,  and  to  proceed  against  all  four 
of  us  for  a  conspiracy  to  defraud.  We  were  tried  together, 
the  jury  brought  in  a  verdict  of  guilty,  and  the  judge  sen- 
tenced us  all,  including  the  clerk  Wesley,  to  two  years'  con- 
finement in  the  county  jail,  the  utmost  limit  permitted  by  the 
laws  of  the  State  of  West  Virginia  for  a  misdemeanor.  Had 
we  not  been  strangers  the  result  might  have  been  different 
for  all  save  Eldridge.  At  that  time,  in  most  of  the  States,  the 
longest  term  of  punishment  that  could  be  inflicted  for  a  mis- 
demeanor was  one  year  in  the  county  jail.  What  is  the 
moral  difference  between  obtaining  goods  under  false  pretense, 
pocket  picking,  or  any  other  kind  of  stealing  ?  There  is  but 
one  —  the  petty  thief  or  pickpocket  often  gets  all  the  money 
that  a  poor  man  or  woman  ha^  in  the  world. 

Up  to  the  time  of  my  escape,  to  be  described  later  on,  1 
passed  eight  months  in  this  West  Virginia  county  jail ;  and 
as  it  was  a  type  of  a  state  of  things  still  existing  in  many 
parts  of  the  Southern  States,  as  I  judge  by  what  I  have  read 
in  the  papers  since  my  return  from  England,  I  conclude  to 
give  some  description  of  life  in  that "  reformatory  institution." 

Alas !  does  the  constitution  of  society  require  that  those 
who  never  had  a  proper  start  in  life  —  permitted  to  grow  up 
ignorant,  amid  brutalizing  surroundings  —  should  suffer  the 
severest  penalties,  and  become  the  scapegoats  of  shrewd, 
avaricious  men  ?  I  refer  to  all  unfortunates,  white  or  black, 
who  are  now  passing  wretched  lives,  the  victims  of  Society's 
neglect  amidst  what  are  denominated  civilized  Christian 
communities. 

This  Wheeling  jail  was  a  two-story  and  basement  struct- 
ure, solidly  built  of  stone.     The  front  was  occupied  by  the 


94  BAD  COMPANY. 

jailor  and  his  family.  The  rear  building  had  a  boiler  for 
steam-heating  purposes  in  the  basement,  the  first  floor  being 
occupied  by  male,  and  the  second  by  female,  prisoners.  Cor- 
ridors about  twelve  feet  wide  extended  from  a  large,  iron- 
barred  window,  which  looked  into  a  back-yard  surrounded  by 
a  high  wall,  to  the  front  part  occupied  by  the  family,  from 
which  it  was  separated  by  a  grated  or  barred  iron  door,  the 
entrance  to  each  story  being  from  the  residence.  The  stone 
stairs,  leading  from  the  basement  to  the  top  floor,  were  over 
each  other  in  the  same  part.  There  was  a  porch  over  the 
front  entrance,  which  was  reached  by  a  flight  of  stone  steps. 
The  flue  leading  from  the  fire-place  under  the  boiler  in  the 
basement  ran  up  in  the  wall  near  the  large  window  at  the 
rear.  On  each  side  of  the  corridors  was  a  row  of  cells  about 
five  feet  by  ten,  which  were  closed  by  double  doors,  that 
inside  the  thickness  of  the  wall  being  of  iron  bars,  the  outer 
one  of  solid  plank.  In  the  wall  was  a  small  window,  near 
the  ceiling,  about  six  inches  horizontal  width  by  two  feet  in 
length,  affording  but  dim  light  even  in  fair  weather.  Six- 
inch  closet-pipes  ran  through  .the  rear  of  the  cells  near  the 
floor,  the  openings  to  which  were  closed  with  cast-iron  covers 
weighing  thirty  or  forty  pounds.  These  in  course  of  time 
had  become  loosened  from  the  original  fastenings  —  a  fact 
which  had  a  decisive  bearing  on  my  escape,  as  will  be  shown. 
West  Virginia,  in  1864,  had  no  State  prison,  and  in 
consequence  all  persons  convicted  of  felony  served  out  the 
terms  of  their  sentences  in  the  various  county  jails,  asso- 
ciating indiscriminately  with  prisoners  of  every  degree  of 
guilt,  from  those  awaiting  trial  or  doing  a  month  for  drunk- 
enness, to  others  sentenced  to  a  life  imprisonment  for  murder. 
In  the  Wheeling  county  jail  were  three  of  the  latter  sort,  and 
very  good,  quiet  men  they  were.  There  were  also  three  con- 
federates—  Weston,  a  master  builder,  Charley  Meredith,  a 
Baltimore  saloon-keeper  and  gambler,  and  Marks,  a  car- 
penter—  who  were  doing  respectively  four,  five,  and  seven 
years,  for   robbing  the  Adams  Express  Company's  office  at 


ADAMS  EXPRESS  BOBBER  Y.  95 

Parkersburgh,  W.  Ya.  As  usual,  the  most  guilty  escaped 
with  the  lightest  sentence. 

The  master  builder,  Weston,  was  carrying  on  a  large  busi- 
ness in  his  line,  but  was  dissatisfied  with  the  rate  at  which 
his  wealth  was  increasing.  He  had  frequented  Charley  Mere- 
dith's saloon,  passing  many  evenings  in  playing  billiards, 
poker,  etc.  It  is  probable  that  losses  at  gambling  caused  him 
to  concoct  the  scheme  which  he  did  for  refilling  his  purse. 
He  went  to  Cincinnati,  made  up  a  package,  purporting  to 
contain  135,000,  and  addressed  it  to  himself  at  Parkersburgh. 
This  he  sent  by  the  Adams  Express  Company,  taking  therefor 
the  usual  receipt  given  by  the  agents  for  money  packages. 
On  the  arrival  of  this  bogus  package  at  Parkersburgh,  the 
agent  put  it  in  the  safe  over  night,  a  fact  which  was  known 
to  Weston's  confederates,  Charley  Meredith  and  the  carpenter 
Marks,  who  the  same  night  entered  the  Express  office,  broke 
open  the  safe,  and  took  away  the  $35,000  package.  The  next 
morning  the  agent  was  completely  wild,  and  the  whole  town 
in  excitement  over  the  robbery.  No  clue  could  be  found  to 
the  perpetrators,  who  remained  quietly  in  town,  engaged  in 
their  usual  avocations.  Weston  came  forward  and  demanded 
his  package  of  !^35,000,  and  although  the  company  had  no 
actual  suspicion,  before  replacing  the  amount  of  the  supposed 
robbery,  they  had  Mr.  Weston  make  affidavit  as  to  all  the 
circumstances  relating  to  the  money  which  had  been  sent  to 
him.  He,  supposing  the  company  would  be  satisfied  with  liis 
declaration  without  investigating  farther,  made  a  statement 
which  the  company  soon  found  to  be  false  in  some  particu- 
lars. This  aroused  them  to  a  more  rigid  investigation,  which 
resulted  in  bringing  the  whole  plot  to  light,  and  the  trial  and 
conviction  of  the  confederates. 

The  male  ward  of  the  jail  was  so  crowded  that  each  cell 
contained  two  to  four  men  —  if  four,  these  had  to  pack  in  the 
bed,  heads  and  feet ;  and  the  same  was  the  case  with  the 
female  ward  up  stairs,  the  cells  being  even  more  closely 
croAvded.     The  place  swarmed  with  Mark  Twain's  "  chamois." 


96  THE  PIOUS  SHELTON. 

These  —  not  the  chamois  —  were  all  let  out  into  the  corridors 
of  their  respective  wards. 

During  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  the  place  was  a  verita- 
ble pandemonium.  Laughter,  singing,  gambling,  varied  with 
occasional  fights,  washing  and  drying  of  clothes,  kept  the 
place  rather  lively.  By  the  sides  of  the  steam-pipes  which 
passed  up  through  the  stone  floor  of  the  cells,  the  women  had 
dug  out  the  cement  to  make  a  hole  through  into  the  cells 
below.  By  these  they  would  sit,  or  lie  on  their  faces,  and 
exchange  ideas,  not  of  the  most  refined  nature,  with  some  of 
the  male  prisoners  underneath.  The  cells  were  divided  by 
partition  walls  of  stone  more  than  a  foot  in  thickness,  yet 
holes  had  been  made  through  these,  enabling  prisoners  to 
talk  or  pass  small  articles  back  and  forth. 

Our  advent  among  the  prisoners  Avas  hailed  with  rejoic- 
ings, because  they  supposed  we  had  some  money  —  their  own 
being  exhausted.  They  were  allowed  to  send  the  jailor's 
children  out  to  purchase  tobacco,  fruit,  pies,  cakes,  etc.,  the 
jail  food  being  composed  principally  of  corn-bread  and  pota- 
toes. Especially  delighted  was  Charley  Meredith,  who  was 
good-natured,  gentlemanly  in  his  manners,  full  of  jokes  and 
fun,  in  fact  an  invaluable  assistant  in  helping  to  pass  away 
the  monotonous  hours  in  a  jail  —  and  to  get  away  one's  sur- 
plus cash  by  gaming.  I  did  not  at  first  suspect  gambling  to 
be  his  special  calling,  nor  had  I  ever  practiced  it ;  but  he  soon 
initiated  me  into  the  game  of  poker,  and  some  of  the  hands 
which  he  dealt  himself  were  to  me  truly  wonderful. 

One  Shelton,  who  was  doing  a  term  of  fifteen  years  for 
horse-stealing,  had  become  very  —  and  I  believe  genuinely  — 
religious.  He  was  of  small  size,  but  like  a  bundle  of  steel 
wires  —  could  twist  and  double  himself  into  any  shape,  and 
was  a  complete  acrobat.  One  day,  three  or  four  months  after 
my  arrival,  he  came  to  me  and  divulged  a  plan  of  escape, 
which  I  did  not  think  was  a  feasible  one.  I  said  to  him : 
"  But,  Shelton,  xon  are  now  a  religious  man ;  you  must  believe 
that  you  were  sent  here  providentially,  and  how  can  you  think 
of  attempting  to  escape  ? " 


PLAN  OF  ESCAPE.  gy 

"  Oh,  I  have  been  a  very  bad  man,  and  committed  more 
than  one  murder;  but  God  has  brouglit  me  to  see  my  evil 
ways,  and  has  pardoned  me,  and  with  His  help  I  am  bound  to 
lead  a  new  life.  I  had  a  great  povrer  and  capacity  to  work 
for  the  devil,  and  am  going  to  use  the  same  qualities  the  rest 
of  my  life  in  working  against  him.  I  believe  God  has  put  it 
into  my  heart  to  escape  from  this  place,  and  I  believe,  also, 
that  He  will  assist ;  therefore  I  have  put  my  life  at  His  dis- 
posal, and  shall  execute  the  plan  with  which  He  has  inspired 
me,  even  if  I  go  alone." 

Finding  I  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it,  he  let  Eldridge, 
Green,  and  Morgan  into  his  plan.  Green  was  doing  five  years 
for  larceny,  and  appeared  very  well  educated.  Morgan  was 
a  good  specimen  of  the  Southwestern  rough,  desperado,  and 
horse-thief  —  ready  for  any  daring  enterprise,  from  sheep- 
stealing  to  murder,  provided  there  was  any  money  in  it.  He 
was  now  doing  ten  years  for  horse-stealing,  and  was  fond  of 
boasting  about  his  wild  and  lawless  adventures.  His  last 
exploit  had  nearly  ended  his  career,  for  an  irate  party  of  farm- 
ers had  captured  him  on  a  stolen  horse,  put  a  rope  around  his 
neck,  thrown  the  end  over  a  limb,  and  pulled  him  up ;  but  he 
was  cut  down  by  the  sheriff,  who  arrived  just  in  the  nick  of 
time.  These  three  prisoners  agreed  to  join  Shelton  in  his 
project,  and  a  night  was  fixed  upon  to  make  the  attempt. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  July,  1865 ;  and  as  the  weather 
was  very  warm,  Mr.  Jones,  the  jailor,  an  ignorant  but  kind 
and  humane  man,  directed  that  the  outside,  solid  wooden 
doors  to  the  cells,  usually  locked,  should  be  left  open  at  night, 
that  the  air  might  circulate  through  them.  The  inner  door, 
before  described,  was  fastened  by  a  bolt  and  spring  slide  on 
the  wall  of  the  corridor,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  occupant  of  the 
cell.  Shelton's  programme  was  to  reach  the  slide  and  remove 
it,  then  get  out  of  his  cell,  let  the  other  men  out  of  theirs  into 
the  corridor,  and  then  dig  a  hole  through  the  brick  wall  into 
the  flue  —  all  without  being  heard  by  the  night  watchman. 
How  this  was  effected  will  be  shown  in  the  next  chapter. 
7 


Chapter  X. 


ELDRIDGE,  SHELTON,  GREEN,  AND  MORGAN  BREAKOUT  OF  WHEELING  JAIL  —  MORGAN 
SHOT  DEAD  —  LEAP  AND  RUN  FOR  LIBERTY  —  WANDERINGS  IN  THE  FOREST  — 
"  BORROWING  "  A  HORSE-BLANKET  —  STARVATION  AND  A  GOOSE-CHASE  —  A  DIN- 
NER WON  —  ELDRIDGE  LOSES  HIS  COMPANIONS  IN  CROSSING  THE  OHIO  —  A  NAR- 
ROW ESCAPE  —  A  FEARFUL  RIDE  —  FREEDOM  AT  LAST  AND  A  PILGRIMAGE  —  THE 
GOOD  QUAKER  LADY  —  ARRIVAL  IN  NEW  YORK, 

I  BELIEVE  Eldriclge  to  be  the  only  survivor  of  the  daring 
escape,  and  the  subsequent  events  were  related  by  him  to 
me  some  months  later. 

Wesley  and  I  were  confined  in  the  same  cell,  and  on  the 
night  that  Shelton  and  his  party  had  agreed  upon,  we  lay  on 
the  straw-bed  listening  attentively  to  catch  every  sound. 
About  one  o'clock  a.  m.  Shelton  began  operations.  By  means 
of  a  tool  which  he  had  contrived,  he  reached  through  the 
bars  of  the  inner  iron  door — the  outer  wooden  one,  being 
open  —  and  after  some  careful  manipulations  succeeded  in 
withdrawing  the  slide  and  pushing  out  the  bolt.  After  listen- 
ing a  little,  he  cautiously  opened  the  iron  door  of  his  cell,  and 
then  those  of  two  other  cells  in  which  his  associates  were 
waiting  and  watching.  All  four  now  crept  along  the  corridor 
in  the  dark  to  the  flue  previously  described. 

With  a  jackknife  blade  fastened  to  a  wooden  handle, 
Shelton  began  to  dig  the  mortar  out  from  between  the  bricks. 
After  an  hour's  work,  each  moment  expecting  to  be  interrupted 
by  the  night  watchman,  he  had  made  an  opening  into  the  flue. 
All  then  let  themselves  down,  Shelton  being  in  advance. 
When  he  had  reached  the  fire-hole  under  the  boiler  in  the 
basement,  where  there  was  more  space,  he  waited   for  the 

(98) 


MORGAN'S  DEATH.  99 

others.  Some  noise  had  been  made  m  coming  down  the  flue 
by  the  falling  of  a  brick,  which  had  been  heard  by  the  night 
watchman,  whom  they  saw  through  the  furnace  door  enter  the 
basement  with  a  lantern,  armed  with  a  horse-pistol  and  accom- 
panied by  a  dog. 

They  wore  but  shoes,  trousers,  shirts,  and  caps,  and  the 
passage  down  the  flue  had  torn  their  shirts  nearly  off,  and 
begrimed  them  with  soot.  In  appearance  more  like  demons 
than  human  beings,  they  sprang  out  upon  the  watchman. 
The  unexpected  appearance  of  so  frightful-looking  a  quar- 
tette, unnerved  the  watchman,  and  a  few  threats  caused  him 
to  drop  the  pistol  in  terror.  The  dog  seemed  to  take  part  in 
his  master's  trepidation,  and  neither  dog  nor  man  offered  any 
resistance  to  the  flight  of  the  fugitives.  The  noise  aroused 
Jailer  Jones,  who  was  sleeping  in  a  room,  the  door  of  which 
opened  opposite  to  and  about  eight  feet  from  the  foot  of  the 
stairs  which  led  to  the  second  story.  He  sprang  out  of  bed, 
seized  a  revolver,  threw  open  the  door,  and  stood  awaiting 
events.  In  a  moment  the  fugitives  rushed  up  the  basement 
stairs  and  around  the  corner  to  reach  the  stair-way  which  led 
to  the  second  story.  As  soon  as  they  came  in  view  Jones 
began  firing.  Shelton  led  the  way,  passed  within  a  few  feet 
of  the  jailer,  rushed  up  the  stairs,  unharmed  by  the  bullet 
fired  point-blank  at  him.  Eldridge,  who  came  next,  had  a 
like  salute  and  the  same  lucky  escape. 

Morgan  then  attempted  to  run  the  gauntlet,  but  as  he 
made  the  first  leap  up  the  steps  he  fell  backward  on  the  floor, 
groaning  and  cursing  horribly.  Green,  who  was  just  behind 
him,  without  the  slightest  hesitation,  leaped  over  Morgan's 
body  and  flew  up  the  steps  with  a  bullet  whizzing  past  his  ear. 

The  window  over  the  front  porch  was  open,  and  Shelton, 
followed  by  the  two  survivors,  made  the  leap  of  about  twenty 
feet,  and  although  severely  shaken  landed  in  the  street  with 
unbroken  bones.  When  young  Eldridge  sprang  from  the  roof 
of  the  porch  one  of  his  shoes  fell  off,  but,  expecting  to  see  the 
front  door  open  and  to  hear  the  pistol  pop  again,  he  dared 


IQQ  THE  FUGITIVES. 

not  stop  to  pick  it  up,  but  sped  on  in  the  darkness.  It  was 
not  long  before  all  three  were  out  of  breath  and  obliged  to 
stop,  completely  exhausted  by  their  exertions,  the  excitement, 
the  leap  for  life  and  liberty,  and  the  run.  After  a  hasty  con- 
sultation they  took  the  nearest  route  to  the  woodland,  which 
was  not  far  away  from  the  suburbs  of  any  town  in  West  Vir- 
ginia at  that  time.  After  what  seemed  a  long  time,  but  in 
reality  only  a  few  minutes,  their  faltering  strides  brought 
them  into  the  forest.  So  far  they  had  kept  together,  and  now 
for  the  first  time  they  dared  to  rest  a  little. 

Shelton  and  Eldridge  asked  each  otlier  in  the  same 
breath  :  "  Where  is  Morgan  ? "  "  Did  you  see  him  ? "  and 
peered  back  into  the  darkness,  listening  anxiously  to  hear  the 
sound  of  his  approaching  steps.  Green  at  last  recovered  suffi- 
cient breath  to  speak,  and  informed  them  of  Morgan's  fate. 

But  to  return  to  the  jail.  We  who  were  locked  up  in  the 
cells  cognizant  of  the  attempt,  heard  the  slight  sounds  made 
by  Shelton  in  getting  out  of  his  cell,  and  letting  his  associ- 
ates out ;  then  came  the  light  scraping  of  removing  the  mor- 
tar, the  rustle  made  in  getting  into  the  flue,  and  the  falling  of 
the  brick  which  aroused  the  watchman.  For  a  few  moments 
we  strained  our  ears  in  vain  to  catch  any  further  sound,  but 
all  was  silent ;  then  suddenly  came  a  pistol  shot,  then  another, 
then  a  third  and  fourth,  followed  by  the  terrible  noise  of  the 
wounded  man.  All  w^as  now  in  an  uproar ;  Jones  and  the 
watchman  rushed  into  the  street  to  raise  an  alarm ;  his  wife 
and  children  were  in  a  tremor  of  apprehension ;  and  soon  the 
jail  w^as  surrounded  by  an  excited  crowd. 

We  soon  gathered  from  the  conversation  that  some  one 
had  been  killed,  and  were  told  by  one  of  the  Joneses  that  it 
was  Eldridge.  As  he  had  endeared  himself  to  all  in  the  place, 
there  were  general  expressions  of  grief,  and  Wesley  and 
myself  could  not  restrain  our  tears.  It  was  not  long,  how- 
ever, before  we  ascertained  that  the  murdered  man  was 
Morgan. 

We  left  the  fugitives  recovering  their  breath  in  the  edge 


FOR    PENNSYLVANFA.  \()\ 

of  the  forest,  which  extended  to  a  great  distance,  unl3roken 
save  by  the  occasional  clearings  of  the  settlers.  It  was  grow- 
ing light,  and  each  one  began  to  take  an  account  of  stock  and 
to  realize  his  physical  condition  by  an  examination  of  the  torn 
and  grime-covered  clothes,  the  cuts  and  scratches.  There 
was  little  left  of  the  shirts  and  pants  with  which  they  started 
out  on  that  memorable  morning.  Young  Eldridge's  shoeless 
foot  Avas  lacerated  and  bleeding  ;  to  protect  it  in  some  degree 
from  the  stones  and  briers,  he  tore  off  strips  from  his  dilapi- 
dated shirt  and  bandagetl  the  unfortunate  member  that  must 
perform  its  share  of  locomotion.  During  the  day  they  made 
but  little  progress,  concealing  themselves  in  the  densest 
thickets,  not  daring  to  speak  above  a  whisper  or  hardly  stir  a 
step  for  fear  some  treacherous  twig  might  snap  under  their 
feet.  At  last,  when  the  long  summer  day  was  ended,  and  dark- 
ness spread  a  veil  over  their  movements,  they  took  up  their 
lonely  and  fearful  tramp  through  the  pathless  forest,  resolved 
on  placing  as  great  a  distance  as  possible  between  themselves 
and  Wheeling  jail. 

-  Their  intention  was  to  keep  to  the  northeast  and  cross  the 
boundary  line  into  Pennsylvania.  Thus  they  wandered  cour- 
ageously on  through  the  night,  with  nothing  to  relieve  the 
pangs  of  hunger  save  the  leaves  and  twigs  they  chewed,  or  an 
occasional  draught  of  water  from  a  pool  left  in  the  dried-up 
bed  of  a  watercourse. 

Resting  and  sleeping  through  the  days,  avoiding  all  signs 
of  civilization,  they  traveled  three  nights,  and  as  the  fourth 
morning  dawned  they  felt  so  certain  they  were  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  were  so  nearly  starved,  that  they  held  a  consulta- 
tion and  decided  to  send  one  of  their  number  forward  to  a 
clearing  near  which  they  had  halted,  to  ascertain  their  where- 
abouts, and,  if  possible,  to  obtain  food. 

Eldridge  volunteered  to  do  this,  and  after  borrowing  a 
shoe,  and  putting  himself  into  as  presentable  shape  as  possi- 
ble with  the  best  tatters  remaining  among  the  party,  he 
advanced  to  the  edge  of  the  clearing  and  found  himself  on  the 


102  ''HOME  again:' 

brow  of  a  hill  looking  down  into  a  valley  in  wdiicli  was  a  large 
stream  of  w^ater  beyond  gleaming  in  the  distance.  He  beck- 
oned to  his  companions  yet  within  view,  who  hastened  to  the 
spot  where  he  stood.  They  were  more  familiar  with  the 
country,  and  as  soon  as  they  looked  down  into  the  valley 
exclaimed  simultaneously : 

"  That  is  Wheeling  !  and  yonder  is  the  jail !  " 

It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  their  feelings  —  their 
chagrin,  astonishment,  and  disappointment  at  this  unex- 
pected return  to  the  near  proximity  of  the  very  jail,  the  mem- 
ories of  whose  iron  bars  and  gloomy  w^alls  had  spurred  them 
on  to  superhuman  efforts  and  to  endure  those  weary  miles  of 
travel,  all  for  naught !  Starved,  covered  with  bruises  and 
sores,  almost  naked  —  what  could  they  do  ?  That  was  indeed 
a  serious  question,  one  involving  liberty,  very  possibly  their 
lives.  Should  they  take  to  the  woods  again,  perhaps  to  wan- 
der weary  days  and  nights  in  vain  ?  One  thing  was  certain, 
they  must  get  away  from  where  they  were,  and  without  delay. 

Wheeling  being  situated  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Ohio 
River,  across  which  lies  the  State  of  Ohio,  the  fugitives 
reasoned  that  if  they  could  cross  the  river  they  w-ould  be 
beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State  of  West  Virginia.  They 
retired  to  a  thicket  and  held  a  "  council  of  war,"  deciding  to 
make  the  circuit  of  the  city,  reach  the  bank  of  the  river  some 
miles  above,  and  find  some  means  of  crossing.  This  plan 
they  proceeded  to  put  into  immediate  execution,  for  they  w^ere 
literally  starving,  and  fully  aware  that  their  strength  would 
not  hold  out  much  longer.  Shortly  after,  while  plodding 
wearily  onward,  they  came  to  a  piece  of  marshy  ground 
'covered  with  huckleberry  bushes,  the  fruit  of  which  was  just 
ripening.  They  eagerly  gathered  the  berries  which  satisfied 
the  cravings  of  hunger.  Then,  selecting  a  place  of  conceal- 
ment,  they  lay  down  to  rest  a  little  while  —  not  to  sleep. 

Unconsciously  they  succumbed  to  Nature's  great  restorer, 
and  the  three  misey^ahles  became  fast-bound  in  the  arms  of 
Morpheus,  oblivious  to  all  surroundings. 


BERRYING  PREVENTS  BURYING.  103 

A  farmer's  wife  with  her  children  came  into  the  patch  to 
gather  berries.  Soon  the  children  strayed  from  their  mother 
and  gradually  came  near  the  sleeping  trio,  who  were  at  last 
aroused  by  the  chatter  and  laughter.  In  the  confusion  attend- 
ing their  sudden  awakening  they  did  not  recognize  the  nature 
of  the  disturbance,  and,  supposing  they  had  been  observed 
while  picking  berries,  and  that  search  was  being  made  for 
them,  they  bounded  to  their  feet  to  make  another  run. 

The  sudden  uprising  of  the  men  was  observed  by  the 
children,  who,  with  cries  of  terror  fled  pell-mell  down  the  hill. 
The  mother  heard  the  cries,  and  supposing  they  had  been 
frightened  by  a  snake,  followed  rapidly  after  them.  The  es- 
caped prisoners  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance,  and  were 
satisfied  there  was  no  immediate  cause  for  alarm,  but  decided 
to  move  on  and  get  as  many  miles  away  from  the  spot  as  their 
weary  feet  would  permit.  Eldridge  and  his  companions 
watched  the  fleeing  group  with  some  amusement.  The  for- 
mer had  now  assumed  the  leadership  of  the  party,  and  as  he 
was  taking  a  general  survey,  he  espied  a  tin-pail — abandoned 
by  the  children  in  their  flight  —  and  asked  one  of  his  men  to 
bring  it,  for  with  that  pail  he  conjectured  many  possibilities 
in  the  way  of  foraging  and  cooking.  The  man  soon  returned 
with  it,  partly  filled  with  berries ;  then  all  hands  set  to  work, 
filled  the  pail  and  departed. 

When  night  overtook  them  they  crept  into  a  barn,  which 
proved  a  grateful  shelter  and  a  boon  to  men  who  had  passed 
so  manv  nio-hts  in  the  woods,  their  almost  naked  bodies 
exposed  to  the  bites  of  insects. 

Eldridge  said  afterward  that  he  never  enjoyed  lodging  in 
any  first-class  hotel  in  America  or  Europe  as  he  did  his  bed 
of  soft  sweet  hay  in  that  barn. 

They  all  awoke  at  dawn  new  men,  and  after  an  early 
breakfast  on  the  berries,  started  with  renewed  courage  on  the 
tramp  for  liberty.  It  was  not  long  before  the  pangs  of  hun- 
ger again  reminded  them  of  their  lack  of  food,  and  set  them 
to  cogitating  upon  ways  and  means  to  obtain  supplies.     They 


104  FORAGING. 

resolved  to  reconnoitre  at  every  farm-house  until  they  found 
one  where  no  dog  was  kept,  conceal  themselves  until  night, 
and  then  make  a  raid  on  the  pantry,  for  they  were  still  too 
near  Wheeling  to  venture  openly  to  ask  for  food  of  the  hos- 
pitable Western  farmers,  who  are  ever  ready  to  feed  the 
hungry  wayfarer  if  they  do  not  believe  him  to  be  an  idle 
vagabond. 

The  part  of  West  Virginia  where  they  were  then  traveling 
was  quite  thickly  settled,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they 
came  to  a  place  which  Eldridge  thought  would  answer  the 
purpose.  After  dark  they  went  into  the  barn  and  slept  upon 
the  hay-mow.  About  midnight  they  proceeded  to  the  kitchen, 
and  Shelton  quietly  raised  a  window,  drew  himself  in,  and 
soon  reappeared  with  a  large  loaf  of  bread  and  a  pan  of  milk. 
These  they  took  to  the  barn  and  there  enjoyed  the  greatest 
feast  of  their  lives.  After  the  banquet,  it  was  daylight.  Being 
shirtless,  they  "  borrowed  "  a  horse-blanket,  tore  it  into  three 
pieces  for  coverings,  and  then  departed  with  all  speed. 

They  were  nearing  the  Ohio  River,  and  by  noonday  were 
again  famishing.  The  first  eatable  thing  they  saw  was  a 
goose.  They  got  between  the  goose  and  the  distant  farm- 
house, and  after  a  long,  crooked  (at  any  other  time  laughable) 
chase,  their  dinner  was  won.  The  goose  was  quickly  killed, 
plucked,  and  cut  up  ready  for  cooking.  The  trio  were  so 
hungry,  however,  that  they  could  not  await  the  slow  process 
of  boiling ;  so,  hastily  collecting  some  leaves  and  dry  sticks, 
Shelton  lighted  the  pile  with  a  match  he  had  brought  from 
the  farm-house,  and  the  party  were  soon  swallowing  pieces  of 
the  goose  just  about  warmed  through.  About  half  the  food 
was  saved  and  carried  along  for  another  meal,  and  on  reach- 
ing the  bank  of  the  Ohio  River  they  built  another  fire  and 
supped  off  boiled  goose.  They  little  thought  it  was  the  last 
time  they  should  eat  together. 

The  river,  where  they  were  about  to  cross,  is  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  with  a  swift  and  treacherous  current, 
the  eddies  and  swirls  of  which  tend  to  draw  a  swimmer  under. 


ENTRANCE  GATE  OF  DARTMOOR   PRISONS. 


SAVED.  105 

As  they  did  not  dare  to  cross  by  daylight,  they  lay  quiet  till 
dusk.  Each  had  pulled  a  board  from  a  fence,  to  aid  in  cross- 
ing the  turbulent  stream.  Launching  boldly  into  the  river, 
for  a  time  they  kept  together,  but  as  they  were  whirled  about 
in  various  directions,  Eldridge  soon  lost  sight  of  his  com- 
panions, who  were  having  a  struggle  to  keep  their  heads 
above  water,  and,  indeed,  that  was  exactly  his  own  case. 
But  at  last  he  could  descry,  looming  up  in  the  darkness,  the 
high  bank  of  the  Ohio  shore.  This  encouraged  him  to  greater 
exertions,  and  he  got  within  a  few  feet  of  land  when  the 
rapid  current  drew  him  under  a  flat-bottomed  scow  which  was 
moored  to  the  bank.  After  struggling  under  water  for  what 
seemed  to  him  an  age,  his  head  striking  the  bottom  of  the 
boat  during  the  time,  he  became  insensible. 

When  he  regained  consciousness,  he  was  lying  on  the 
shore,  with  his  legs  still  in  the  water,  and  the  morning  sun 
shining  in  his  eyes.  He  could  never  understand  how  he  came 
to  be  saved.  He  lay  for  a  time,  too  weak  and  exhausted  to 
do  more  than  pull  his  legs  out  of  the  water. 

Becoming  somewhat  revived,  he  spread  the  piece  of  horse- 
blanket  and  the  remains  of  his  trousers  out  to  dry,  while  he 
lay  in  the  sunshine.  The  hot  summer  sun  soon  dried  his 
scanty  raiment  and  warmed  him  into  life.  He  saw  a  collec- 
tion of  houses  in  the  distance,  toward  which  he  proceeded,  in 
the  hope  of  finding  a  railway  station,  for  he  had  heard  the 
rumbling  of  trains,  and  determined  to  steal  a  ride  if  possible, 
as  he  was  not  more  than  twenty  miles  from  Wheeling. 

When  near  the  village,  he  crept  into  a  field  of  corn  to 
wait  till  night,  and  appeased  his  hunger  by  gnawing  the 
green  corn  off  the  ears.  About  ten  o'clock  he  made  his  way 
to  the  vicinity  of  the  station  to  await  an  opportunity  to  board 
some  train.  After  a  time  a  locomotive  without  a  train  came 
along,  and  while  stopping  to  take  in  wood  and  water,  he  stole 
up  behind  and  seated  himself  on  the  fender-block.  Away  rum- 
bled the  engine  at  high  speed  toward  Pittsburgh,  and  Eldridge 
found  himself  in  a  position  he  had  not  bargained  for.     The 


106  ELDRIDGE'S  NIGHT  RIDE. 

space  on  which  he  was  sitting  was  very  narrow,  and  the 
hirches  of  the  engine  nearly  threw  him  off  repeatedly,  it 
being  only  by  the  exertion  of  all  his  power  that  he  managed 
to  keep  on.  When  he  thought  he  could  not  hold  out  for  a 
moment  longer,  the  engine  came  to  a  stop  just  outside  of 
Pittsburgh,  and  Eldridge  was  enabled  to  leave  his  dangerous 
position,  unobserved. 

He  "  levied  "  upon  a  scarecrow  for  an  old  coat  and  pair  of 
trousers,  but  was  still  barefooted.  This  genteel  young  man, 
being  reduced  to  the  condition  of  a  tramp  and  cadger,  got  on 
as  far  as  Harrisburg  by  means  of  freight  and  cattle  trains, 
sometimes  traveling  along  t^ie  track  or  on  the  highway.  No 
longer  fearing  recognition,  he  boldly  applied  at  the  farm- 
houses for  food  and  lodging,  and,  despite  his  dilapidated 
appearance,  he  was  generally  not  long  in  a  house  before  he 
became  a  welcome  guest. 

At  Harrisburg  he  was  obliged  to  apply  at  the  police  station 
for  a  night's  lodging,  but  he  was  now  nearly  at  the  end  of  his 
hardships.  While  in  that  place  he  had  an  opportunity  to 
read  the  papers,  and  for  the  first  time  saw  an  account  of  the 
escape  from  jail,  detailing  the  death  of  Morgan,  and  that  a 
reward  of  $500  was  offered  for  the  recapture  of  himself  and 
each  of  his  companions.  He  never  heard  of  these  since  he 
saw  them  struggling  desperately  for  life  in  the  turbid  waters 
of  the  Ohio.  It  is  certain  they  were  never  recaptured,  and 
Eldridge  has  always  believed  they  were  then  drowned. 

Soon  after  leaving  Harrisburg,  on  foot,  he  came  to  a  large 
country  villa,  and  applied  for  food.  The  master  of  the  house 
happened  to  be  at  home,  and  something  in  the  appearance  of 
Eldrid2:e  attracted  his  notice.  He  immediatelv  invited  him 
in,  and  after  hearing  a  part  of  his  story,  called  in  his  wife 
and  daughters,  and  all  became  greatly  interested  in  listening 
to  the  recital  of  his  experiences,  wliich  he  recounted  just  as 
they  happened,  except  that  he  played  the  part  of  an  ex-Con- 
federate soldier,  instead  of  an  escaped  civil  prisoner.  The 
ladies  showed  great  sympathy  for  him,  and  when  he  left,  gave 


A  BENEVOLENT  QUAKERESS.  107 

him  money  to  pay  his  fare  to  Philadelphia,  and  a  substantial 
Imicheon  to  carry  with  him.  He  ascertained  that  the  gentle- 
man was  one  of  the  Harrisburg  city  magnates. 

He  reached  Philadelphia  without  further  adventure,  and 
as  he  had  no  acquaintance  nearer  than  New  York  City,  he  set 
out  for  a  tramp  through  New  Jersey.  On  the  second  day, 
when  a  few  miles  from  Trenton,  he  called  at  a  large  farm- 
house which  proved  to  be  the  residence  of  a  wealthy  widowed 
Quaker  lady.  She  gave  him  a  bountiful  dinner,  but  pre- 
viously (his  travel-worn  looks  and  dilapidated  apparel  not 
according  with  her  Quaker  ideas  of  neatness)  the  old  lady 
selected  a  complete  suit  from  her  departed  husband's  ward- 
robe, and  told  him  to  take  it  —  with  a  bucket  of  water,  soap, 
scrubbing-brush,  and  towel  —  to  the  barn,  and  tidy  himself 
-up.  This  he  was  only  too  glad  to  do,  and  after  doing  justice 
to  the  dinner,  and  with  some  money  in  his  pocket,  he  left  the 
kind-hearted  Quaker  lady,  clothed  in  the  habiliments  of  an 
honest  man,  and  a  few  days  later  he  was  in  New  York  among 
friends. 

Eldridge  was  a  man  who  had  been  religiously  brought  up, 
but  had  gradually  and  imperceptibly  fallen  into  ways  of 
obtaining  money  whereby  not  only  his  liberty,  but  also  his 
life,  had  been  placed  in  jeopardy.  Does  any  one  believe  that 
if  he  had  foreseen  the  ultimate  dangers  attending  a  first  false 
step,  he  would  have  taken  it  ? 


Chapter  XL 


A  FUTILE  PLAN  —  AN  "  OLD  SAW  "  — A  NEW  CONSPIRACY  TO  ESCAPE  — A  TRAITOR  — 
JAM  "bucked"  and  HORSEWHIPPED  —  TO  HEAL  MY  WOUNDED  SPIRIT  I  SET 
THE  JAIL  ON  FIRE  —  CHRISTMAS  DINNER  IN  JAIL  —  MY  PARTY  ESCAPE  —  CROSS 
THE  OHIO  IN  A  "  BORROWED  "  BOAT  —  A  STOLEN  RIDE  —  A  "  TRAMP  "  — GOOD 
LUCK  AND  GOOD  SAMARITANS  —  MEET  PENEY  IN  NEW  ORLEANS. 

THE  events  recorded  in  the  last  chapter,  up  to  the  moment 
when  the  fugitives  leaped  from  the  porch,  created  a 
great  commotion  among  us  who  were  left  in  durance.  The 
death  of  Morgan  made  but  little  impression  upon  us,  com- 
pared with  the  fact  that  three  had  escaped  and  were  at  liberty. 
Each  prisoner  said  to  himself :  "  What  a  fool  I  was  not  to  go 
with  them ! " 

Jones,  the  jailer,  allowed  the  prisoners  to  read  his  paper 
—  a  small  sheet  published  daily  in  Wheeling  —  otherwise 
there  was  no  provision  made  to  supply  them  with  reading 
matter.  The  master-builder's  friends  sent  him  an  occasional 
book,  which  I  borrowed.  One  of  these  was  the  prose  and 
poetry  of  Edgar  Allan  Poe,  the  "  Byron  of  America,"  and  I 
committed  to  memory  ''  The  Raven,"  and  other  pieces. 

I  had  soon  tired  of  card-playing,  especially  poker,  for  I 
soon  discovered  that  Charley  Meredith,  in  one  way  or  another, 
was  certain  to  win  whenever  I  played  with  him.  I  then  whit- 
tled out  a  set  of  chess-men,  but  all  who  played  with  me  soon 
became  discouraged  with  their  "hard  luck."  Therefore,  much 
of  the  time  hung  heavily  on  my  hands,  and  as  this  was  the 
first  time  that  I  had  been  under  lock  and  bolt  the  sentence 
of  two  years  seemed  as  hard  to  bear  as  did  the  later  one  of 
"  life  "  in  England.  In  consequence,  my  mind  dwelt  con- 
stantly on   the  question  of  how   to  escape ;   but   for   three 

(108) 


THE  MAN  WITH  THE  TRAY.  109 

months  after  Eldridge  and  party  had  taken  "  French  leave" 
I  could  settle  upon  no  feasible  way,  although  one  plan  had 
suggested  itself  to  me.  It  was  customary  for  some  prisoner 
to  bring  the  rations  contained  in  a  large  wooden  tray  into  the 
corridor,  the  wife  or  daughter  of  the  jailer  unlocking  the  iron 
gate  for  that  purpose  when  Jones  himself  was  absent,  which 
was  frequently  the  case.  I  induced  one  of  the  prisoners, 
whom  I  thought  reliable,  to  volunteer  to  bring  in  the  tray ; 
also  letting  three  or  four  others  into  my  plan,  which  was  as 
follows  :  In  October  at  the  -usual  supper  hour  it  began  to  grow 
dusk.  We  Avere  accustomed  to  gather  at  this  gate  to  look 
out  into  the  street  through  the  front  entrance,  and  merely 
made  way  for  the  man  to  pass  with  the  tray.  When  I  saw  a 
favorable  opportunity  I  was  to  have  my  party  posted  near  the 
gate,  and  as  our  confederate  entered  he  was  to  "  accidentally  " 
drop  the  tray,  so  that  the  gate  could  not  be  closed.  We  were 
then  to  rush  out,  hasten  to  the  front  entrance,  which  was 
fastened  only  by  a  bolt  during  the  day,  open  the  door,  and 
dash  up  the  unfrequented  streets  to  the  same  forest  which 
Eldridge  and  party  reached.  It  was  a  run  of  about  a  mile, 
the  last  of  it  up  a  steep  hill ;  but  as  it  would  be  nearly  or 
quite  dark,  I  considered  that  those  of  us  who  were  county 
prisoners,  dressed  in  citizens'  clothes,  stood  more  than  an  even 
chance  of  success. 

On  two  occasions  I  had  everything  arranged,  but  at  the 
critical  moment  the  heart  of  the  man  with  the  tray  failed 
him,  and  I  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  project. 

It  may  have  been  fortunate  for  me  that  the  plan  failed, 
and  I  insert  here  the  summary  of  an  account  which  shows 
how  an  exactly  similar  plan  proved  abortive  at  the  Rochester 
jail,  on  the  10th  of  September,  1873  :  "  When  Mrs.  Beckwith, 
the  jailer's  wife,  opened  the  iron  gate  leading  into  the  corridor 
where  the  prisoners  were  walking  about,  four  of  them  made  a 
rush  for  liberty,  bearing  Mrs.  Beckwith  back.  The  intrepid 
woman  fought  nobly.  She  seized  two  of  them  by  the  hair 
and  screamed.     Just  at  this  moment  constable  Suits  happened 


110  WORKING  AT  THE  BARS. 

to  come  into  the  jail  on  business  and  went  to  the  rescue.  Mr. 
Beck  with  also  hastened  to  the  spot  with  a  revolver,  and  pre- 
senting the  muzzle,  threatened  to  fire.  The  prisoners  seeino- 
that  he  meant  '  business,'  withdrew,  and  Mrs.  Beckwith  was 
released  from  her  unpleasant  position." 

One  of  us  prisoners,  a  Welchman,  was  a  bricklayer  and 
plasterer,  and  had  been  taken  out  daily  to  work  about  the 
city.  One  day  while  delving  at  a  foundation,  he  picked  out 
of  the  rubbish  an  old,  rusty  caseknife,  which  he  slipped  into 
his  pocket  and  brought  to  his  cell,  -thinking  it  would  be  better 
to  eat  with  than  his  fingers.  One  of  his  comrades  mentioned 
the  find  and  I  got  him  to  procure  it  by  stealth,  for  I  saw  1 
could  make  a  saw  which  would  saw  through  the  bars,  and  in 
imagination  saw  liberty  in  the  near  future.  I  hid  the  knife 
away  in  a  crevice,  and  waited  to  see  if  any  inquiry  was  made 
for  it.  After  a  few  days  I  gave  it  to  Marks,  one  of  the 
Adams  Express  robbers,  who  made  notches  in  it  with  a  jack- 
knife  blade  he  had  procured.  I  then  took  charge  of  it  again, 
and  Wesley  and  I  rubbed  it  by  turns  for  two  or  three  days  on 
the  stone  floor  of  our  cell,  until  the  blade,  which  was  of  good 
steel,  was  as  thin  at  the  back  as  at  the  front. 

I  did  not  dare  do  much  myself,  as  the  jailers,  male  and 
female,  watched  me  incessantly,  but  paid  little  attention  to 
what  the  others  did.  I  directed  Marks  and  Peney  to  take 
turns  in  sawing  with  the  notched  knife  at  the  bars  of  the 
back  window,  which  were  of  one-inch  round  iron.  There 
were  usually  eight  or  ten  persons  walking  about  on  the  stone 
floor,  wdiich  would  partially  cover  up  the  noise  made  by  the 
sawing,  but  this  made  so  penetrating  and  unusual  a  sound 
that  I  feared  it  would  attract  attention.  I  therefore  directed 
two  of  the  men  to  bring  a  bucket  of  water,  procured  a  zinc 
wash-board,  w^hich  I  gave  them,  and  told  them  to  take  some 
dirty  clothes  and  rub  away  with  all  their  might  just  in  front 
of  where  the  sawing  was  going  on.  This  completely  deceived 
the  jailer  and  his  family,  for  on  more  than  one  occasion  they 
came  to  the  gate  to  see  what  caused  the  singular  noise,  and 


TREASON.  Ill 

on  seeing  the  men  rubbing  briskly,  went  away  satisfied.  I 
knew  that  the  night-watchman  examined  the  bars  of  the  win- 
dow every  night,  so  I  mixed  up  a  black  dough  of  soot  and 
soap,  and  when  the  sawing  was  done  for  the  day,  I  had  the 
men  cover  up  the  evidences  of  their  work  with  this  mixture. 

In  each  cell  was  an  iron  bed-frame,  hinged  so  as  to  turn 
up  against  the  wall  in  the  daytime,  but  when  let  down  occupy- 
ing nearly  the  whole  space.  With  the  knife-saw  I  cut  nearly 
in  two  one  of  the  bars  which  ran  across  the  bed-frame,  so  that 
I  could  wrench  it  off  to  use  as  a  lever  in  case  of  necessity. 

Marks  and  Peney  insisted  that  one  bar  cut  out  of  the  win- 
dow would  give  sufficient  space  to  get  through,  and  I  could 
not  convince  them  of  their  error  until  I  got  four  strips  of 
wood  and  fastened  them  into  a  square  just  the  size  of  the  hole 
they  intended  to  make.  As  the  smallest  could  not  get  his 
shoulders  through,  they  were  satisfied,  and  in  four  days  had 
two  bars  cut  nearly  through  at  the  bottom  end,  and  half 
through  two  feet  higher  up ;  all  this  had  been  accomplished 
without  discovery.  At  least  a  dozen  prisoners  were  cognizant 
of  what  was  going  on,  and  at  last  one  of  them  plucked  up 
courage  enough  to  betray  the  plot,  in  the  hope  of  thereby 
currying  favor  with  the  authorities — a  common  trait  among 
the  vilest-minded  prisoners  of  all  countries,  as  I  have  learned. 

Neither  of  us  conspirators  suspected  this  treason,  and  all 
who  intended  to  escape  if  they  could,  retired  to  rest  happy  in 
the  belief  that  they  were  passing  their  last  night  in  that  place. 
The  next  morning  the  cell  doors  were  not  opened  at  the  usual 
time,  and  I  felt  at  once  that  there  had  been  a  traitor  among 
us,  and  that  our  plans  had  been  unveiled.  About  8  o'clock 
the  sheriff,  jailer,  and  two  or  three  men  came  into  the  corridor, 
the  cell  doors  were  opened,  each  man  ordered  out  singly  and 
"  bucked."  Perhaps  some  of  my  readers  do  not  know  the 
meaning  of  that  word.  The  hands  are  tied  together  at  the 
wrists ;  the  man  then  sits  down  on  the  floor  and  draws  his 
knees  up  to  the  chin;  his  arms  are  then  forced  down  over 
the  knees  so  that  a  stick  can  be  thrust  through  above  the 


112  ESCAPE  A  SANITARY  NECESSITY. 

arms  and  beneath  the  knees.  This  renders  a  man  completely 
helpless,  so  that  he  may  be  tumbled  about  at  will.  After  all 
engaged  in  the  plot  had  been  thus  "  fixed,"  Jones  came  to 
me,  and  striking  me  heavily  across  the  hams  with  a  rawhide 
several  times,  demanded  "  that  knife."  I  told  him  it  was  un- 
lawful for  a  jailer  to  strike  a  county  prisoner,  and  since  he 
had  not  asked  for  it  before  striking  me  in  my  helpless  state, 
he  could  take  it  out  in  "  rawhide."  He  was  about  to  proceed 
to  greater  extremities,  when  Wesley  very  sensibly  said  :  "  I 
will  give  it  to  you  if  you  will  untie  me."  This  was  done,  the 
knife  given  up,  and  all  were  released  from  "  buck." 

Wesley  and  I  were  ordered  into  our  cell,  both  doors  closed 
and  locked,  and  directions  given  that  we  were  not  to  be  per- 
mitted to  leave  the  cell  day  or  night.  Until  our  final  escape, 
two  months  later,  we  were  never  out  of  that  stifling  dungeon 
—  for  it  was  nothing  less. 

This  treatment  made  us  ugly,  and  thenceforward  we  did 
everything  we  could  to  annoy  the  jailer  —  on  one  occasion 
nearly  destroying  the  place  by  fire.  We  had  procured  some 
matches,  which  we  lighted,  dropped  through  a  hole  in  the 
stone  floor  into  the  basement,  which  was  filled  with  bedding- 
straw,  and  when  we  saw  this  was  on  fire  we  stopped  the  hole 
so  that  we  might  not  be  suffocated.  Before  the  fire  Avas 
discovered  it  had  made  such  headway  that  it  became  a  diffi- 
cult matter  to  subdue  it  and  save  the  place.  Wesley  and  I 
were  suspected,  but  when  they  interrogated  us  we  would 
answer  no  questions,  and  heard  no  more  of  it  afterwards. 

My  mind  was  more  than  ever  made  up  to  escape,  for  there 
were  still  seventeen  months  out  of  the  two  years  to  stay,  and 
I  felt  sure  we  two  could  not  long  survive  confinement  day 
and  night  in  a  cell  which,  according  to  modern  scientific 
ideas,  was  but  half  large  enough  for  one  man.  After  we 
were  shut  in  as  above,  we  had  no  means  of  communication 
with  the  other  prisoners  save  through  a  small  hole  that  had 
been  drilled  through  the  wall  into  the  next  cell,  which  Peney 
occupied. 


BLACK  MARIA  CONVEVINCr  THE  FORGERS  THROUGH  LONDON  IN  CHAINS. 


MARKS,  LOCKSMITH,  W^ 

As  he  and  Marks  were  the  ones  on  ^yhom  I  depended  to 
carry  out  my  plan,  I  had  only  to  whisper  my  directions  through 
the  hole,  and  Peney  would  communicate  them  to  Marks.  After 
the  discovery  of  the  sawed  bars,  a  blacksmith  had  come  there 
and,  without  removing  them,  had  put  over  the  space  heavy 
clamps  and  bars,  which  were  fastened  with  nuts  and  screwed 
up  tight.  Some  pieces  of  wood  and  strips  of  copper  had  been 
hoarded  up  and  concealed ;  of  these,  Marks,  with  his  knife- 
blade,  managed  to  make  a  wrench,  by  cutting  a  square  hole  in 
a  piece  of  the  wood,  and  binding  it  with  the  strips  of  copper. 
This  he  finished,  and  on  trial  found  it  would  unscrew  the 
nuts.  That  fact  proved,  the  wrench  was  hidden,  and  Marks 
tried  his  hand  at  making  a  key  to  fit  the 'lock  of  the  outer 
door  of  my  cell,  so  that  when  the  time  for  action  should  come 
we  could  be  let  out.  In  a  few  days  the  key  was  finished,  and 
found  to  do  its  work  admirably.  We  had  kept  the  new  plan 
as  secret  as  possible,  only  six  of  us  being  aware  of  it. 

Now  all  was  ready ;  but  the  next  day  Avas  Christmas,  and 
as  Mrs.  Jones  had  promised  all  her  unwilling  boarders  a  good 
dinner,  I  thought  we  had  better  stay  and  eat  it,  especially  as 
on  that  day  there  would  be  a  better  opportunity  to  leave  the 
premises,  everyone  being  engaged  in  preparation  for  the  even- 
ing's festivities. 

Accordingly  Mrs.  Jones,  with  the  aid  of  her  daughter,  gave 
us  a  really  good  Christmas  dinner  of  turkey,  the  prisoners, 
except  Wesley  and  myself,  being  allowed  out  in  the  corridor 
all  day  —  the  man  who  I  felt  certain  had  betrayed  us,  being 
one  of  the  favored  ones  ;  but  as  the  whole  work  at  the  window 
would  occupy  only  a  few  minutes,  I  relied  on  the  surprise  and 
consequent  irresolution  to  keep  him  and  others  silent  until 
we  were  gone. 

There  had  been  much  noise  and  confusion  in  the  corridor 
all  this  Christmas  afternoon,  the  jailer  and  his  famil}'  being 
in  too  jolly  a  condition  to  take  notice  of  what  was  transpiring, 
especially  jailer  Jones,  who  was  rather  fond  of  his  whisky. 
At  half-past  four  it  was    dusk,  and,  as  arranged,  I   passed 


114  <^^^^  ^^^  ^^^  DEPTHS. 

the  iron  bar  through  to  Peney ;  Marks  took  his  wrench  and 
soon  removed  the  clamps  and  bars  from  the  window ;  Peney 
unlocked  my  cell  door,  and  I  handed  him  the  heavy  sewer- 
pipe  casting  before  mentioned  as  rusted  loose.  While  this 
was  transpiring,  Wesley  and  I  remained  in  the  cell,  not  dar- 
ing to  show  ourselves  in  the  corridor,  for  fear  some  of  the 
jailer's  family  might  notice  us. 

With  a  few  blows  of  the  casting  Peney  broke  out  the  par- 
tially sawed  bars  of  the  window,  and  popped  through  into  the 
back-yard,  followed  by  the  three  other  conspirators.  Then 
Wesley  and  I  started ;  he  passed  through  the  hole,  but  I, 
expecting  we  should  be  obliged  to  break  the  lock  of  the  yard 
gate,  delayed  to  put  the  casting  through,  so  as  to  have  it 
ready  in  case  Peney  failed  to  wrench  it  off  with  the  bed-frame 
bar.  I  then  got  through,  picked  up  the  casting,  turned 
around,  and,  to  my  astonishment,  saw  none  of  them  except 
Wesley,  who  stood  on  top  of  a  heap  of  rubbish,  trying  in  vain 
to  reach  the  roof  of  a  small  out-house  that  stood  in  a  corner 
of  the  yard.  I  saw  how  matters  stood,  ran  and  boosted  him 
up,  then  he  pulled  me  up,  from  thence  easily  reaching  the 
top  of  the  wall,  from  which  we  dropped  safely  about  twenty 
feet  to  the  ground.  We  found  ourselves  in  a  narrow  lane, 
which  led  in  one  direction  toward  the  business  portion  of  the 
city  upon  the  river,  and  in  the  other  to  the  quiet  streets 
reaching  out  into  the  suburbs  and  to  the  woods.  Our  four 
associates  were  nowhere  in  sight,  and  we  conjectured  they 
had  gone  toward  the  woods.  We  took  the  opposite  direction, 
walked  down  the  lane,  crossed  two  streets,  and  came  to  Water 
Street,  which  was  thronged  with  people.  We  turned  down 
this,  and  after  walking  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  passed  the  station 
and  came  to  some  passenger  cars  standing  on  a  side  track. 
We  entered  one  of  these,  thinking  to  stay  till  later  in  the 
night ;  but  a  watchman  seeing  us,  came  into  the  car,  which 
we  left  by  the  other  door,  and  walked  on  down  the  track,  he 
following  us  for  some  distance,  then  turning  back,  greatly  to 
our  relief.     About  a  mile  below  the  town  we  came  to  a  saw- 


DOWN  THE  ''0-HI-Oy  \\^ 

mill,  and  looking  down  from  the  high  bank,  saw  a  sight  that 
made  our  hearts  thrill  with  joy  —  a  boat  glinting  in  the  moon- 
light, hauled  up  on  a  raft  of  timber.  Creeping  down  the 
bank,  upon  the  raft  we  found  a  large  flat-bottomed  skiff, 
which  we  quickly  and  silently  pushed  into  the  water,  and 
getting  in,  with  two  pieces  of  board  in  lieu  of  oars,  we  were 
soon  slowly  propelling  our  stolen  bark  across  the  Ohio.  We 
neared  the  opposite  bank  about  two  miles  below,  when  sud- 
denly hearing  men's  voices,  we  ceased  paddling,  and  heard 
some  one  shouting :  "  What  are  you  doing  with  that  stolen 
boat?"  Instead  of  replying,  we  silently  turned  her  bow 
toward  the  middle  of  the  river,  and  as  we  were  disappearing 
in  the  darkness,  could  distinguish  the  words,  "  Wheeling  jail," 
"  escaped  prisoners,"  etc.  We  floated  down  about  a  mile,  and 
the  clouds  having  veiled  the  moon  completely,  ventured  to 
paddle  to  the  shore,  where  we  disembarked  and  pushed  the 
boat  as  far  out  into  the  river  as  possible,  so  as  to  leave  no 
indication  that  we  had  landed  at  that  point. 

We  found  ourselves,  at  about  eight  o'clock  p.  M.,  half  a 
mile  above  Bellaire,Ohio — the  railway  junction  before  referred 
to.  As  it  was  quite  dark,  we  ventured  into  the  outskirts  of 
the  village,  and  coming  to  a  small  grocery  I  sent  Wesley  in 
to  get  some  crackers  and  cheese  —  this  because,  being  the 
one  on  whom  Jones  would  wreak  revenge  if  caught,  it  was 
incumbent  on  me  to  take  no  risk  of  recapture. 

We  then  skirted  the  town  and  struck  the  railway,  which 
runs  west  by  the  way  of  Zanesville,  Columbus,  and  Cincinnati, 
to  Chicago,  which  latter  city  was  the  point  we  desired  to  reach. 
After  walking  along  the  track  at  a  rapid  rate  for  perhaps  ten 
miles,  we  came  to  Belmont  station  —  near  which  Eldridge 
had  escaped  by  leaping  from  the  car  window,  as  elsewhere 
related  —  about  eleven  p.  m.  Here  we  found  an  empty  cattle- 
train  that  had  just  passed  us,  bound  west.  As  it  was  very 
dark  and  raining  heavily,  I  sent  Wesley  groping  in  the  dark 
to  the  rear  of  the  train  to  have  a  look  into  the  caboose. 
Returning  soon,  he  reported  that  there  was  a  man  sitting 


116  HUMAN  CATTLE. 

within  who  looked  like  Pender,  despite  which  information  I 
thought  it  best  not  to  miss  the  opportunity  of  getting  as  far 
away  from  Wheeling  as  possible,  even  on  the  same  train  with 
him ;  therefore  we  crept  up  on  the  top  of  a  car  and  let  our- 
selves down  through  the  trap-door  used  for  feeding  cattle. 
Soon  tlie  train  moved  on,  and  by  eight  o'clock  the  next 
morning  we  were  within  a  few  miles  of  Zanesville,  or  about 
seventy  miles  from  Wheeling.  For  want  of  locomotive  power 
to  draw  the  train  up  an  incline,  the  cars  were  stopped  in  a 
deep  cutting,  and  then  a  brakeman  came  along  the  top,  got 
down  at  the  front  end  of  the  one  we  were  in  and  uncoupled 
it,  without  even  glancing  through  the  bars.  Had  he  done  so 
he  could  not  have  failed  to  see  us  two  shivering  fugitives 
crouched  down  in  one  corner  at  the  other  end,  trying  to 
shield  ourselves  from  the  sleet  and  rain  which  drove  through 
the  sides  and  ends  of  the  car.  During  our  long  night  ride 
this  had  wet  our  clothing  through  and  chilled  us  to  the  very 
bones.  As  soon  as  the  cars  were  uncoupled,  the  engine 
started  with  the  portion  of  the  train  ahead  of  us,  and  soon 
disappeared  over  the  brow  of  the  incline.  We  then  climbed 
out  through  the  trap,  jumped  off  and  scrambled  up  the  bank 
into  a  field,  stopped  at  a  small  stream,  washed  our  hands  and 
faces,  and  soon  after  called  at  a  farmer's  house,  where  we 
remained  several  hours,  drying  our  clothes  and  enjoying  the 
hospitality  freely  accorded  until  sunset,  when  we  walked  in  to 
Zanesville. 

Walking  along  the  crowded  main  street,  with  eyes  wide 
open,  we  suddenly  spied  Pender  standing  in  front  of  a  store, 
watching  the  passers-by.  Instantly  turning,  we  got  away, 
and  proceeding  to  another  part  of  the  town,  I  ascertained 
that  the  trains  stopped  on  the  other  side  of  the  Muskingum 
River.  Being  afraid  to  take  the  train  at  the  Zanesville  sta- 
tion, we  started  to  walk  across  the  railway  bridge,  and  were 
obliged  to  hasten,  as  the  train  was  about  to  start.  Following 
the  railway  track  we  arrived  at  the  bridge,  which  was  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  and  stepped  along  from  tie  to  tie. 


''OFF  YOU  GO!'*  117 

fearing  the  train  would  be  upon  us.  Being  very  dark,  the 
sound  of  the  rushing  stream  below  filled  my  mind  with 
strange  thoughts  as  to  the  consequence  of  a  single  false 
step  —  a  plunge  into  the  ice-cold  water,  from  which  there 
could  be  no  escape.  It  was  a  terrible  walk,  and  at  each  step 
I  expected  that  one  or  the  other  of  us  would  go  through. 
When  about  half-way  over  we  heard  the  train  coming,  and  at 
the  same  instant  saw,  or  rather  heard,  a  man  crossing  by  the 
foot-way  which  ran  along  the  side,  this  having  escaped  our 
notice.  Indescribable  were  our  feelings  of  relief  when,  after 
cautiously  climbing  across  to  the  foot-path,  we  found  ourselves 
in  safety.  Hastening  across,  we  reached  the  station  just  in 
time  to  get  on  the  train,  and  arrived  at  Dresden,  the  junction 
with  the  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  Railway,  having 
expended  my  last  cent  in  paying  our  fare.  It  being  ten 
o'clock,  and  the  train  northward  three  hours  late,  we  lay 
down  on  the  station-house  floor  and  slept  until  the  rumbling 
of  the  approaching  train  aroused  us  to  the  necessity  of  con- 
tinuing our  flight. 

Although  we  had  no  money  to  buy  tickets  we  went  aboard, 
and  when  the  conductor  came  along  I  gave  him  fifty  cents  in 
stamps,  explaining  that  I  had  been  down  in  West  Virginia, 
that  I  was  out  of  money  and  had  been  disappointed  in  receiv- 
ing more  from  home,  and  that  I  would  send  him  the  balance 
for  our  fares  as  soon  as  I  reached  home.  But  on  this  occa- 
sion my  eloquence  was  wasted.  The  conductor  said :  "  You 
can  ride  as  far  as  the  fifty  cents  pays;  then  off  you  go!" 
Sure  enough,  it  was  not  long  before  the  train  stopped  in  the 
woods,  and  we  were  promptly  put  down  on  the  muddy  ground. 
But  we  were  not  tired  or  hungry — were  more  than  one  hun- 
dred miles  from  Wheeling,  and  felt  quite  safe.  A  kind  farmer 
gave  us  a  good  breakfast,  and  we  walked  on  all  day  long. 
The  heavy  boots  which  I  wore  had  taken  the  skin  off  my 
ankles,  and  by  sundown  I  could  hardly  move  along.  We 
stopped  at  a  farm-house  to  ask  for  relief,  but  the  inmates 
whom  we  saw  plainly  through  the  windows,  would  not  come 


Ilg  BY  EXPRESS  — "D.  HJ' 

to  the  door  in  response  to  our  knocks.  As  I  could  go  no 
farther,  I  lay  down  on  the  grass,  and  Wesley  went  on  to  the 
next  house,  returning  soon  with  a  gentleman,  who  incidentally 
informed  us  that  he  was  lately  from  Appomattox  and  Rich- 
mond. I  leaned  on  the  shoulders  of  the  two  and  thus  reached 
the  captain's  home. 

We  were  received  hy  his  old  parents  with  the  utmost  hos- 
pitality ;  the  mother,  after  bathing  and  bandaging  my  feet, 
furnished  us  a  good  supper  and  showed  us  to  a  delightful, 
clean,  soft  bed,  from  which  I  arose  the  next  morning  a  new 
man.  After  breakfast,  these  good  Samaritans  drove  us  to 
the  Coshocton  railway  station.  We  now  watched  our  chance, 
getting  unobserved  into  an  empty  freight-car,  and  rode  about 
one  hundred  miles  to  Norwalk,  where  this  road  joined  the 
Lake  Shore  Line. 

Here  I  went  into  a  saloon  opposite  the  station  and  asked 
the  proprietor  to  purchase  a  silk  undershirt  I  had  on.  When 
I  had  explained  to  him  that  I  wanted  the  money  to  pay  my 
fare  to  Chicago,  he  said  : 

"  Wait  till  the  express  train  comes  in,  and  there  will  be 
two  express  company's  cars  ;  stand  by,  and  as  soon  as  the 
train  starts  step  on  the  platform  between  them.  The  con- 
ductor only  goes  through  the  passenger  cars,  therefore  you 
can  ride  as  far  as  you  like  undisturbed,  only  be  sure  to  step 
off  as  the  train  arrives  at  a  station." 

We  followed  his  advice,  and  were  soon  speeding  along  at 
thirty  miles  an  hour  toward  a  place  of  safety. 

It  will  be  remembered  I  was  brought  from  another  State 
on  a  requisition  charging  me  with  felony.  That  charge  not 
being  substantiated,  I  should  have  been  sent  back  to  the  State 
from  which  I  had  been  taken.  Being  illegally  imprisoned  I 
had  no  scruples  in  attempting  a  general  "  jail  delivery,"  and 
I  especially  desired  to  liberate  Peney,  who  had  a  life  sentence. 

The  convicts  were  dressed  in  striped  woolen  clothes,  there- 
fore Wesley  and  I  had  distributed  our  civilian  garments  among 
our  fellow  conspirators,  retaining  only  enough  to  cover  our- 


ANOTHER  GREAT  MORAL  QUESTION.  \\^ 

selves.  We  managed  to  fit  out  all  but  one  whom  I  will  call 
Peters,  and  he  was  obliged  to  escape  in  the  striped  suit. 
Although  it  was  dark,  he  had  no  sooner  got  into  the  street 
than  the  prison  clothes  were  recognized ;  he  was  pursued, 
recaptured,  and  returned  to  his  old  quarters,  where  he  sur- 
vived but  a  short  time,  owing  to  the  cruel  treatment.  A  worse 
fate  might  have  befallen  me  —  the  leader. 

The  following  winter  my  w^ife  and  I  were  in  New  Orleans 
for  two  or  three  months,  and  while  walking  on  the  levee  one 
day  I  met  Peney.  He  looked  rather  dilapidated,  and  said  he 
had  been  steward  on  a  river  steamer,  but  had  been  out  of  a 
job  for  some  time.  As  he  had  stood  by  me  like  a  man  in  the 
Wheeling  jail  affair,  before  I  left  New  Orleans  I  gave  him  in 
all  some  four  or  five  hundred  dollars,  since  which  time  I  have 
seen  or  heard  nothing  of  him. 

While  on  the  southern  tour  I  met  a  man  named  McCabe 
at  Mobile.  He  had  been  an  ex-Confederate  soldier  —  so  he 
claimed  — but  was  in  the  Wheeling  jail  when  I  arrived  there. 
Having  but  a  short  time  to  serve,  he  would  take  no  part  in 
the  plan  of  escape.  This  man  then  informed  me  as  to  what 
occurred  after  my  "  departure  "  ;  among  other  things,  what 
I  have  before  stated  about  Peters.  He  also  gave  me  the  par- 
ticulars of  the  recapture  of  Marks,  who,  it  appears,  unwisely 
remained  in  West  Virginia  working  at  the  carpenter's  trade. 
After  some  time  he  was  recognized  by  one  who  informed 
Jones,  and  soon  he  was  back  in  his  old  quarters  to  finish  his 
seven  years. 

Marks  had  been  all  his  life  an  honest,  hard  working  man, 
never  having  been  implicated  in  crime  until  Charley  Mere- 
dith, the  gambler,  had  induced  him  to  take  part  in  the  Adams 
Express  robbery. 

As  this  is  a  typical  case  of  several  which  have  come 
under  my  observation,  I  will  ask  the  reader  to  stop  for  a 
moment  and  ponder  the  question  :  Is  it  best,  when  a  man 
breaks  jail  without  doing  bodily  injury  to  any  person  —  and 
goes  to  work  with  a  determination  to  gain  by  his  labor  an 


120  BOLIVAR'S  OPERATIONS. 

honest  livelihood  —  and  has  been  doing  so  for  a  considerable 
length  of  time  —  to  recapture  him  and  force  him  to  serve  out 
the  remainder  of  his  sentence  ? 

The  Swiss  never  punish  any  man  for  attempting  to  escape  ; 
they  claim  that  it  is  natural  for  all  creatures  to  try  to  regain 
their  liberty  when  deprived  of  it ;  and  it  is  the  business  of 
the  authorities  to  guard  prisoners  and  prevent  them  from 
escaping,  and  the  prisoners'  right  to  escape  if  they  can. 

Soon  after  my  escape  I  went  to  New  York,  and  calling  on 
Mrs.  Bolivar — a  lady  of  very  respectable  family  —  I  gave  her 
a  sufficient  sum  to  pay  her  expenses  to  Wheeling.  She  at 
once  proceeded  there  and  procured  a  remission  of  one-half  of 
her  husband's  sentence  ;  so  he  was  set  at  liberty  four  months 
after  I  quit  that  model  jail. 

Durins;  her  efforts  to  obtain  her  husband's  freedom  I  was 
in  correspondence  with  her,  sending  her  some  money  as 
required,  and  both  came  directly  on  to  Baltimore  to  meet  me, 
according  to  pre-arrangement.  They  then  proceeded  to  New 
York,  settled  matters  there,  and  removed  their  household 
goods  to  West  Virginia. 

All  through  the  Wheeling  affair  "  Bovar  "  had  claimed  to 
be  a  victim,  and  had  made  a  good  many  friends ;  and  it  was 
for  this  reason  that  he  had  determined  to  set  up  as  a  "  doctor  " 
in  West  Virginia.  However,  after  a  few  months'  "  practice," 
he  was  back  again  in  New  York,  having  been  obliged  to  fly  on 
account  of  some  "  bad  luck  "  in  the  exercise  of  his  "  profes- 
sion." Not  long  after  his  return  to  New  York  his  amiable 
wife  joined  the  silent  majority.  After  some  vicissitudes,  he 
fell  in  with  and  married  a  wealthy  Kentucky  heiress,  but  by 
some  means  his  new  father-in-law  learned  something  of  his 
antecedents,  and,  by  stratagem,  got  his  daughter  home,  and 
threatened  to  shoot  Bolivar  if  he  ever  put  in  an  appearance 
there.  Thus  stood  the  matter  when  I  went  to  England,  and 
as  to  what  was  his  ultimate  fate,  I  have,  at  the  moment  of 
writing,  no  knowledge. 


BOW  STREET  POLICE  STATION. 


Chapter  XII. 


FORGERS  WILKES  AND  SHERIDAN — A  PIG  GOLD  "  OPERATION  "  IN  WALL  STREET 
FRUSTRATED  —  OTHER  GOLD  FORGERIES  —  ENGLES,  "THE  TERROR  OF  WALL 
street"  — FIGHTING  THE  "  TIGER  "  —  THE  FORGER  AND  GAMBLER  AT  HOME  — 
FURTHER    TRANSACTIONS  —  A  MODEL  CONSTABLE, 

A  HISTORY  of  my  operations  in  New  York  would  be 
incomplete  without  some  account  of  the  leading  but 
not  dangerous  part  which  on  several  occasions  I  took  as  buyer. 
For  a  long  time  it  was  a  questionable  point  in  my  own  mind 
whether  I  ought  to  expose  the  inodus  operandi  with  which  some 
of  the  most  successful  gold  forgeries  of  the  period  were  con- 
summated. I  queried :  Even  if  I  give  false  names  and  dates, 
dare  I  make  an  exposition  which  will  reflect  on  those  who 
are  appointed  to  guard  the  public  against  the  attempts  of  the 
criminal  classes  ? 

Many  other  reasons  suggested  themselves  which  were 
well  nigh  sufficient  to  deter  me  from  proceeding  with  this 
chapter.  But  I  have  set  out  to  perform  a  task,  to  lay  bare  the 
most  salient  points  of  a  checkered  life,  in  the  hope  that  the 
recital  may  prove  interesting  to  all  readers,  and  that  many 
may  be  led  to  look  upon  the  serious  side  of  the  question.  I 
will  begin  with  the  first  actual  forgery  with  which  I  was 
connected. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  I  left  Hilton  in  the  Ludlow 
Street  house  of  detention.  By  the  expenditure  of  fiJty  or 
sixty  thousand  dollars,  and  my  aid  as  negotiator,  he  was  set 
at  liberty  without  trial,  although  charged  with  having  supplied 
the  Confederate  government  with  blank  notes  and  bonds.  In 
1867  Hilton  introduced  me  to  a  Mr.  Wilkes,  whom  I 
accompanied  to  the  Brandreth  House,  where  we  had  a  long 

(121) 


]^22  "^"^   WILKES  PLAN. 

interview.  He  then  accompanied  me  to  a  restaurant 
where  he  said  a  friend  was  awaiting  him,  and  introduced  me 
to  one  whom  I  have  since  discovered  to  be  Walter  Sheridan, 
whose  portrait  appears  in  Inspector  Byrnes's  "  Professional 
Criminals."  I  have  no  doubt  that  Wilkes  introduced  me  to 
Sheridan  that  the  latter  might  be  able  to  judge  as  to  what 
kind  of  a  customer  had  been  picked  up  as  a  monkey  to  pull 
their  chestnuts  out  of  the  fire. 

After  some  general  conversation  Wilkes  and  myself 
returned  to  the  Brandreth  House,  where  he  revealed  to  me 
that  he  had  procured  a  genuine  draft  from  a  San  Francisco 
firm  on  Messrs.  Bowen,  McNamee  <fe  Co.,  at  that  time  the  larg- 
est drygoods  firm  in  America ;  that  on  presentation  of  this 
draft  for  payment,  the  firm  stamped  on  it  their  acceptance 

and  endorsed  it,  making  it  payable  at  their  bank — the 

National,  on  Broadway. 

"  Now,"  said  Wilkes,  "  Hilton  has  made  me  two  books 
of  blank  drafts  which  have  the  names  of  St.  Louis  houses 
printed  in.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  go  into  Wall  Street  and 
buy  gold,  fill  in  a  draft  for  the  amount,  come  out  to  me  and  I 
will  put  on  the  acceptance  exactly  like  the  genuine ;  then  you 
can  take  it  back,  pay  for  the  gold  with  it,  let  them  send  it  to 
the  bank  to  get  it  certified,  then  go  back  and  take  away  the 
gold,  provided  there  is  no  hitch  at  the  bank.  He  went  on  to 
explain  his  plan  in  detail,  which  will  appear  as  subsequent 
events  are  narrated.  As  the  art  of  forgery  was  then  to  me  a 
strange  one,  I  was  as  much  astonished  at  his  revelations  as 
I  had  been  formerly  at  those  of  Frank  Kibbe's  —  being  incred- 
ulous that  such  an  operation  could  be  successfully  executed. 
However,  I  concluded  to  try  it,  and  taking  a  man  to  act  as  my 
servant,  I  went  to  the  Stevens  House  on  lower  Broadway,  and 
engaged  a  room,  to  which  Wilkes  came  unobserved.  I  then 
took  my  servant  with  me  to  a  firm  of  gold  and  bullion  brokers 
in  Wall  Street,  Wilkes  remaining  outside  for  a  purpose  which 
will  soon  appear.  I  asked  the  price  of  gold  ?  "  One  eighty 
(say),"  was  the  reply.     "I  will  take  thirty  thousand  dollars," 


AFTER  GOLD.  123 

I  said  —  took  out  a  book  of  blank  drafts,  filled  one  in  for  the 
amount,  remarking,  "  I  will  have  to  send  this  up  to  my  cor- 
respondents for  acceptance  "  —  at  the  same  time  saying : 
"  Here,  James,  take  this  up  to  Bowen,  McNamee  &  Co.,  have 
it  accepted,  and  bring  it  back  to  me.  Hurry  up  ! "  The 
servant  left,  and  as  previously  instructed,  went  to  where 
Wilkes  was  waiting,  who  immediately  filled  out  another  draft 
which  had  the  forged  acceptance  endorsed  across  its  face,  and 
sent  it  to  me  by  the  servant.  I  handed  it  to  the  broker  who 
looked  it  over  and  said : 

"  This  is  payable  at  the National  bank,  and  as  we 

never  deliver  gold  or  other  securities  to  strangers  unless  we 
get  the  bank's  acceptance,  I  will  send  and  have  it  certified." 

He  gave  it  to  a  messenger  who  started  for  the  door,  but 
as  he  was  passing  I  joined  him,  and  as  we  came  out  I  asked 
him  how  long  he  was  likely  to  be  gone.  This  was  done  in 
order  that  Wilkes,  who  was  on  the  watch,  might  identify  the 
messenger  who  had  the  draft,  and  be  enabled  to  follow  him 
to  the  bank  to  learn  if  it  was  accepted  without  demur.  Mean- 
while I  remained  in  the  office.  But  what  if  suspicion  should 
be  aroused  on  presentation  of  the  draft  at  the  bank  —  inquiry 
be  made  at  Bowen,  McNamee  <fe  Co.'s,  and  the  forgery  dis- 
covered ? 

Of  course  I  should  at  once  be  arrested  at  the  broker's 
office.  To  avoid  such  a  risk,  after  the  messenger  had  been 
gone  a  few  minutes,  I  looked  at  my  watch  and  remarked  :  "  I 
have  time  to  meet  another  engagement,  and  will  return  soon." 
I  then  went  to  a  place  just  round  the  corner,  as  previously 
arranged  with  Wilkes.  In  about  half  an  hour  he  came  to  me 
very  much  crestfallen  and  said  : 

"  I  lost  the  messenger  somehow,  and  did  not  see  him  in 
the  bank  ;  but  I  think  it  is  all  right,  for  I  went  in  a  few  min- 
utes since,  everything  appearing  quiet,  and  I  saw  nothing 
unusual." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  shall  I  go  and  risk  trying  to  get  the 
money  ? " 


124  FORGER  AND  POLTROON. 

"  No,"  he  replied,  "  I  don't  want  you  to  take  any  chances  ; 
it  is  better  to  try  again  in  another  place." 

I  immediately  took  the  servant,  and  with  the  exception  of 
using  the  other  draft-book  with  a  different  name,  I  went  to  an 
office  nearly  opposite  the  former  place,  and  purchased  twenty- 
five  thousand  in  gold,  going  through  all  the  same  manoeuvres 
as  before.  This  time  he  came  back  still  more  crestfallen  than 
before,  and  said  he  had  again  lost  sight  of  the  messenger. 

As  previously  stated,  such  operations  were  new  to  me, 
but  in  the  light  of  after  experience  1  am  able  to  deduce  the 
probable  cause  of  his  failure.  He  was  an  old  forger,  and  a 
great  coward,  one  who  would  fly  at  his  own  shadow.  Wall 
Street  and  the  brokers'  offices  at  this  time  were  thronged  with 
speculators.  At  the  offices  where  I  made  the  gold  purchases, 
persons  were  constantly  passing  in  and  out,  and  as  there  was 
a  throng  on  the  sidewalk,  it  was  necessary  in  order  to  be  sure 
of  the  messenger,  that  Wilkes  should  stand  on  the  walk  near 
the  door.  This  he  feared  to  do  from  the  remote  possibility 
that  in  some  way  suspicion  might  be  aroused  and  I  be  arrested. 
In  case  of  such  an  event  he  believed  that  I  might  do  as  per- 
haps he  would  were  the  case  reversed  —  point  out  the  man  at 
the  door  as  the  actual  forger.  No  doubt  when  I  came  out 
with  the  messenger,  others  were  passing  in  and  out  about 
their  business.  Wilkes  did  not  wait  to  see,  but  fled  a  short 
distance,  then  not  being  pursued,  he  recovered  from  his  panic, 
and  made  his  way  to  the  bank  in  the  hope  of  there  meeting 
the  messenger. 

The  failure  of  these  well-concerted  schemes  of  robbery, 
after  having  executed  my  part  so  well,  disgusted  me.  We 
adjourned  to  the  Stevens  House,  and  burned  in  the  grate  of 
the  room  I  had  taken  all  the  papers  connected  with  the 
case.  It  had  cost  Wilkes  and  Sheridan  a  thousand  dollars  to 
prepare  for  the  job.  This  and  many  other  failures  in  the  dif- 
ferent branches  of  crime  that  I  have  known  of,  prove  that  the 
most  skillful  and  experienced  law-breakers  often  lose  the  cap- 
ital invested.     I  afterwards  ascertained  that  the  bills  were 


A  BLONDE  SCOUNDREL.  |25 

duly  certified  and  that  the  brokers  held  the  gold  ready  for 
delivery,  but  as  I  did  not  call  for  it,  they  sent  word  to  Bowen, 
McNamee  &  Co.,  inquiring  why  their  customer  had  not  called 
for  the  money.  This  resulted  of  course  in  a  disclosure  of  the 
attempted  forgery,  and  the  bank  officers  no  doubt  congratu- 
lated themselves  on  the  lucky  escape  from  loss.  I  had  no  more 
to  do  with  forgers  or  forgery  until  some  years  later,  when  I 
met  Georp-e  Eno-les. 

To  show  that  forgers  did  obtain  money,  though  failing  to 
follow  up  the  messengers,  I  will  here  introduce  another  char- 
acter—  a  skillful  manipulator  who  took  a  prominent  part  in 
other  transactions  to  be  described. 

Despite  the  resolution  I  had  formed — from  the  moment  I 
had  succumbed  to  Kibbe's  temptation  at  Baltimore  —  to  have 
nothing  to  do  with  persons  who  committed  crimes  which,  if 
detected,  would  send  the  doers  to  state  prison  (Kibbe's  mode 
of  merchandise  swindling  not  then  incurring  that  penalty), 
the  reader  who  has  followed  the  thread  of  my  story  will 
perceive  that  one  step  led  to  another,  until  now  I  experienced 
no  great  repugnance  at  making  the  acquaintance  of  a  man 
who  I  Avas  informed  lived  by  forgery.  I  saw  him  for  the  first 
time  a  few  months  before  ffoins:  to  Eno-land. 

George  Engles  was  by  birth  a  Prussian,  blue-eyed,  blonde- 
haired,  and  slim  in  stature.  Like  Kibbe,  he  was  a  great  cow- 
ard, but  unlike  him  he  was  true  to  his  friends.  Although  the 
product  of  his  numerous  forgeries  amounted  in  the  aggregate 
to  hundreds  of  thousands,  he  never  had  any  money  long. 
The  reason  of  this  was  that  as  soon  as  he  obtained  possession 
of  any  sum,  however  large,  he  was  sure  to  play  at  faro  until 
his  last  dollar  was  gone.  He  also  drank  heavily.  He  was 
well  educated,  and  had  been  a  good  business  man.  At  about 
twenty-two  years  of  age  he  had  left  his  German  home  and 
settled  in  the  city  of  New  York,  where  he  became  a  dealer  in 
naval  stores.  While  in  this  business  he  married  a  lady  of 
German  parentage,  and  at  the  time  I  became  acquainted  with 
the  family  they  had  six  children.     The  wife  appeared  a  good 


126  GASTRONOMIC  DISAPPOINTMENT. 

woman,  and  greatly  attached  to  her  husband  and  family. 
The  children  were  bright,  and  had  no  suspicion  as  to  the  way 
their  father,  at  that  time,  made  his  money.  Some  years  pre- 
viously he  had  failed  in  business,  and  never  after  got  a  fresh 
start  in  an  honest  way  of  life.  Under  the  pressure  of  poverty 
he  had  gradually  relaxed  the  honest  business  principles  brought 
from  his  fatherland,  going  on  from  one  petty  swindle  to 
another,  until,  becoming  bolder,  he  tried  his  hand  at  larger 
operations,  till  he  finally  turned  to  forgery,  and  at  the  time  of 
which  I  write  he  was  known  as  "  The  Terror  of  Wall  Street." 
He  always  remained  in  the  back-ground,  prepared  the  forged 
papers,  checks,  etc.,  leaving  to  the  more  foolhardy  the  risk  of 
presenting  them,  and  the  subsequent  trial  and  imprisonment. 

With  the  mutual  acquaintance  who  introduced  me  to 
George  Engles,  I  one  day  visited  the  home  of  the  latter.  We 
accepted  an  invitation  to  stay  to  dinner,  believing  that  it  would 
prove  first-class,  for  we  knew  that  he  had  the  previous  week 
received  a  large  sum,  the  proceeds  of  an  extensive  forgery. 

We  were  a  little  staggered  at  discovering  the  furniture, 
carpets,  etc.,  in  his  rooms  to  be  pretty  common  and  worn  out. 
When  dinner  was  announced,  we  went  below  to  the  usual 
basement  dinino'-room.  His  anxious  and  amiable  wife  must 
have  been  greatly  embarrassed  in  her  attempt  to  entertain 
guests  in  such  an  ill-furnished,  dilapidated  place.  The  chairs 
and  table  were  broken ;  the  cloth  riddled  with  holes ;  the 
dishes  cracked  and  mismatched.  Everything  was  clean,  and 
the  food  provided  was  well  cooked  by  Mrs.  Engles'  own 
hands ;  but  the  lack  of  variety  and  insufficiency  in  quantity 
made  us  feel  as  though  every  mouthful  we  took  was  needed 
by  the  hungry  children. 

"  And  is  it  possible,"  I  soliloquized,  "  that  a  man  with 
whom  I  divided  several  thousand  dollars  three  days  since, 
who  is  so  pleasant,  good-natured,  and  generous  among  his 
associates,  can  have  become  so  infatuated  with  the  game  of 
faro  as  to  have  dropped  the  whole  amount  into  the  jaws  of 
the  "  tiger,"  giving  no  part  of  it  to  relieve  the  wants  of  this 
faithful  wife  and  her  innocent  children  ?" 


A  NE  W  J  ERSE  Y  ORDER. 


127 


This  was  my  first  and  last  visit  to  George  Engles's  house, 
for  soon  after  he  left  with  me  for  England.  Some  months 
later  he  returned  alone  to  America ;  I  remained  to  pass  half 
a  lifetime  in  misery,  taking  a  view  of  life  from  behind  the 
bars,  with  plenty  of  time  for  retrospections. 


RETROSPECTIONS. 


Some  days  before  the  dinner  referred  to,  George  Engles 
came  to  the  house  where  I  lodged.  After  some  preliminaries, 
he  said  he  was  again  out  of  money,  and  that  if  I  would  pro- 
care  the  genuine  check  of  some  firm  in  good  credit,  one  which 
would  be  likely  to  hold  a  heavy  balance  in  bank,  he  would 
have  some  facsimile  checks  printed,  and  draw  out  all  their 
money.  I  at  once  went  to  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  going  to  a 
hotel  I  wrote  an  order  for  about  fifty  dollars'  worth  of  sample 
goods,  enclosing  a  bill  of  exchange  for  one  hundred  dollars, 
payable  to  the  order  of,  say  Smith  &  Co.,  the  letter  being 
about  as  follows : 


128  SUCCESS. 

Messrs.  Smith  &  Co.,  New  York: 

Gentlemen,  —  Please  sliip  to  me,  at  your  earliest  convenience, 
one  ten-gallon  keg  of  the  best  brandy  you  can  sell  by  the  cask  for 
$4.00  per  gallon.  I  am  about  making  a  shipment  to  the  South, 
and  if  the  brandy  proves  satisfactory,  you  may  receive  a  larger 
order.  Please  deduct  the  amount  from  enclosed  bank  draft,  and 
remit  me  your  check  for  any  balance  in  my  favor,  with  invoice,  and 
oblige,  etc.  (signed  any  name). 

The  next  day  I  received  the  keg  of  brandy,  and  shipped  it 
to  a  friend  to  sell  for  what  he  could  get.  I  also  received 
Smith  &  Co.'s  check,  and  returning  to  New  York,  gave  it 
to  George  Engles,  who  in  two  days  had  the  blank  checks 
ready. 

For  certain  reasons  I  wish  to  cover  up,  as  far  as  possible, 
the  place  and  names  where  the  following  operation  was  car- 
ried out.  The  next  morning  our  party  of  three  went  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  Wall  Street  of  a  certain  city,  where  we  met  a 
man  in  citizen's  clothes.  This  was  a  constable  who  had  long 
been  on  special  duty  in  the  interests  of  the  bankers  and 
brokers,  to  prevent  forgers,  thieves,  etc.,  from  operating 
among  them.  He  was  introduced  to  us  as  "  reliable,"  and 
I  started  out  to  buy  gold,  which  was  then  about  $1.80.  This 
time  I  went  in,  and  after  getting  the  price,  I  agreed  to  take  — 
I  forget  how  much  —  say  $10,000,  and  said  I  would  be  back 
in  ten  minutes  to  pay  for  the  same ;  I  proceeded  to  the  place 
of  rendezvous  near  by,  and  George  Engles,  in  the  presence 
of  ourselves  and  the  constable,  filled  out  a  check  bearing  the 
forged  signature  for  the  amount.  This  I  took,  followed  by 
the  constable  and  two  others,  who  kept  me  in  sight,  and 
handed  it  in  at  the  broker's  office. 

The  broker  gave  it  to  a  messenger,  who  hurried  to  the 
bank  not  far  away  to  get  it  certified.  Those  who  were  on 
the  watch  followed  him,  and  one  of  them  went  into  the  bank 
and  saw  the  check  handed  to  the  cashier,  who  certified  and 
gave  it  back  to  the  messenger.  In  the  meantime,  as  soon  as 
the  latter  had  gone  toward  the  bank,  I  made  an  excuse  to 


OFFICIAL  AID.  129 

leave  the  office  and  hastened  to  a  place  near  by,  as  previously 
agreed  upon.  As  soon  as  the  man  who  followed  the  messen- 
ger into  the  bank  saw  that  the  check  was  duly  certified,  he 
came  out,  and  upon  reaching  the  steps,  lifted  his  hat  in  a 
natural  way  so  as  not  to  attract  attention. 

This  was  recognized  as  a  signal  that  the  check  had  been 
duly  accepted,  and  that  it  would  be  safe  for  me  to  return  to 
the  broker's  office  for  the  money.  Accordingly  the  constable, 
who  happened  to  be  nearest  to  where  I  was  waiting,  came 
within  view  of  me,  lifted  his  hat,  and  wiped  his  forehead  with 
his  handkerchief.  I  "caught  on" — if  I  may  be  permitted 
the  use  of  an  expression  which  came  into  usage  while  I  was 
in  an  English  prison  —  and  hurried  back  to  the  broker's  office, 
arriving  there  ahead  of  the  messenger,  who,  when  he  returned, 
saw  me  standing  quietly  by  the  counter.  The  broker  took 
the  check  and  handed  me  the  roll  of  Custom  House  gold 
certificates,  which  I  deliberately  counted,  then  walked  out. 
As  soon  as  I  was  in  the  street  one  of  the  party  brushed  by 
me,  and  as  he  passed  I  slipped  the  notes  into  his  hand ;  he 
went  direct  to  the  Custom  House,  drew  the  gold  for  them, 
and  brought  it  to  the  place  of  meeting,  where  we  were  by  this 
time  all  arrived.  The  reason  1  instantly  got  rid  of  the  notes 
was  that  had  I  been  arrested  the  next  moment,  my  confed- 
erates would  have  used  the  money  to  effect  a  compromise  to 
procure  my  release,  if  other  means  failed. 

After  concerting  new  places  of  meeting,  I  went  and  made 
a  second  purchase  in  a  different  part  of  the  street,  which  was 
equally  successful  with  the  first. 

On  again  meeting  at  the  place  of  rendezvous,  the  question 
came  up  as  to  whether  we  had  drawn  out  all  the  firm's  balance 
in  bank.  After  an  exchange  of  pros  and  cons,  the  constable 
said : 

"  We  may  as  well  have  another  go,  boys ;  for  if  their  bal- 
ance is  all  drawn  out,  they  have  good  credit,  and  the  bank 
won't  dishonor  their  check.  Besides,  in  case  of  trouble,  I 
shall  be  the  first  officer  on  hand,  and  as  they  all  know  me  to 
9 


130  THE    CONSTABLE'S  PLAN. 

be  'dead  nuts'  on  forgers,  I  should  be  the  one. called  on  to 
arrest  Meigs  [the  name  I  was  known  by].  If  that  happen, 
I  will  take  him  through  a  quiet  street  towards  the  police 
station.  While  on  the  way,  as  soon  as  we  are  in  a  suitable 
place,  I  will  give  him  the  tip,  and  he  must  '  pop '  me  square 
in  the  eyes,  so  as  to  put  them  both  in  mourning,  and  then 
clear  out  as  though  the  devil  was  after  him.  Of  course  I  '11 
go  back  and  be  condoled  wdth  by  my  friends,  the  brokers,  for 
my  damaged  eyes.  But  I  say,  boys  [with  a  wink  at  the 
bags  of  gold,  and  a  broad  laugh],  can't  I  afford  to  stand  a 
good  right-hander  for  my  share  in  that  yellow  stuff  ? " 

As  I  was  the  chief  actor  in  the  operation  of  this  day,  I 
had  stood  by  silent  while  the  discussion  was  going  on,  ready 
to  try  again  or  otherwise,  as  they  should  decide.  The  con- 
stable's words  decided  the  point.  I  w^ent  and  made  a  third 
purchase,  the  same  series  of  maneuvers  being  used  as  before, 
but  owing  to  the  throng  about  the  door  of  the  office  where  I 
made  the  purchase,  those  on  watch  outside  mistook  the  mes- 
senger, following  the  wrong  man.  After  discovering  their 
error,  one  of  them  came  and  gave  me  the  signal  to  remain 
where  I  was.  It  will  be  perceived  that  we  w^ere  now  in  pre- 
cisely the  same  dilemma  in  wiiich  Wilkes  and  I  were  on  a 
former  occasion,  viz.,  we  did  not  know  w^iether  the  check 
had  been  certified  or  not ;  in  consequence  of  which  it  was  not 
safe  for  me  to  present  myself  for  the  money  until  that  point 
should  be  settled.  However,  we  were  prepared  for  just  such 
an  emergency  —  to  meet  and  to  overcome  it. 

The  constable  sauntered  in  the  direction  of  the  office 
where  I  had  made  the  last  purchase,  stopping  in  at  the 
various  offices,  as  he  was  accustomed  to  do,  inquiring  if 
there  was  anything  stirring  in  his  line  of  business,  until  he 
reached  the  office  in  which  we  were  for  the  moment  inter- 
ested. As  he  entered  there  he  gave  a  rapid  look  around,  and 
saw  that  all  was  going  on  as  usual  —  as  he  afterward  told 
us  —  then  said  to  one  of  the  partners,  carelessly : 

"  Well,  is  there  anything  '  crooked '  going  on,  to-day  ?  " 


A  SATISFACTORY  ''BIVY". 


131 


"  No ;  I  hear  nothing,"  was  the  reply. 

He  came  out  to  where  I  was  waiting,  and  said : 

"All  right;  go  for  it." 

I  went  straight  to  the  broker,  and  said : 

"  I  have  been  detained  at  the  Custom  House.  I  suppose 
you  have  my  gold  ready  for  delivery  ?  " 

The  gold  notes  were  handed  over,  I  counted  them,  walked 
out  unmolested,  and  passed  them  to  a  confederate,  as  on  the 
other  occasions.  Soon  we  were  all  at  the  place  where  Engies 
had  remained  during  the  day.  We  there  divided  the  proceeds 
of  the  day's  spoils.  The  constable  pocketed  his  share,  equal 
to  a  year's  salary,  shook  hands  all  around,  and  departed 
highly  pleased  with  his  day's  "  police  duty"  ;  the  others  of  us 
returned  to  our  places  of  residence  in  New  York,  some  of 
them  to  squander  the  ill-gotten  gains  in  doubtful  enjoyments. 


Chapter  XIII. 


GEORGE  M'DONALD'S  EARLT  LIFE  —  GOES  TO  HARVARD  COLLEGE — HIS  PARENTS  — 
HE  LEAVES  HOME  —  MEETS  KIBBE,  "THE  ROGUE  "  —  GETS  INTO  THE  "  TOMBS  " 
I  MAKE  HIS  ACQUAINTANCE  —  SKETCH  OP  AUSTIN  BIDWELL  —  A  "MALE  QUAR- 
TET" OFF  FOR  EUROPE  —  ARRIVAL  IN  LONDON  —  A  "  DCTET  "  VISIT  IRELAND  — 
"  FREAKS  "  ENDORSED  ON  BANK  OF  ENGLAND  NOTES  —  MR.  GREEN  —  HE  INTRO- 
DUCES "warren  "  TO  THE  BANK  —  MR.  FRANCIS  AND  MR.  FENWICK,  BANK  MAN- 
AGERS —  WARREN  OPENS  AN  ACCOUNT   AT  THE  BANK  OF  ENGLAND. 

IN  the  early  spring  of  1872,  soon  after  the  events  recorded 
in  the  last  chapter,  I  agreed  to  make  a  foreign  trip  with 
George  Engles,  with  a  view  of  "  raising  the  wind "  out  of 
European  capitalists.  I  was  as  yet  but  a  novice  in  the  art  of 
forgery,  and  acted  as  subordinate  to  Engles  who  was  the  actual 
forger. 

As  George  McDonald  was  one  of  our  party,  a  short  sketch 
of  his  early  life  will  be  appropriate  at  this  point.  Although 
our  circumstances  in  life  were  originally  so  unlike,  yet  we 
both  reached  the  same  goal  —  a  prison. 

McDonald  belonged  to  a  good  family,  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent,  on  the  mother's  side  in  a  direct  line  from  the 
O'Neils,  who  were  ancient  kings  of  Ireland.  He  was  born  in 
1846,  near  Boston,  in  a  beautiful  country  villa,  the  property 
of  his  father.  This  was  surrounded  by  an  evergreen  hedge, 
beyond  the  limits  of  which  the  children  were  never  permitted 
to  stray,  and  were  kept  in  charge  of  nurses  and  tutors  until 
sent  away  to  school  or  college.  The  mother  Avas  a  high- 
minded,  noble-hearted  woman,  of  a  religious  character,  and 
devoted  to  the  moral  and  intellectual  education  of  her  children. 
The  father  was  unbendino^  and  severe  in  the  treatment  of  all 
delinquencies,  and  required  his  children  to  be,  like  himself, 
upright  and  exact  in  all  the  relations  of  life.     Even   when 

(132) 


ANOTHER  DISCIPLE  OF  KIBBE'S.  133 

well  grown  they  were  seldom  permitted  to  associate  with 
others  of  their  own  age  for  fear  of  contamination,  and  on 
those  rare  occasions,  great  care  was  taken  in  the  selection  of 
their  companions.  At  an  early  age  George  was  sent  to  Har- 
vard college,  with  the  understanding  that  he  was  to  become  a 
physician. 

The  foregoing  will  show  that  his  opportunities  were  excel- 
lent—  in  marked  contrast  with  the  physical  and  mental 
privations  of  my  early  life.  To  that  comparison  I  will 
add  a  very  singular  coincidence.  After  I  had  parted  with 
Kibbe  in  Buffalo,  as  related  in  a  former  chapter,  McDonald, 
having  left  home  as  the  result  of  some  intrigue,  and  being 
afraid  to  face  his  stern  father,  started  out  to  seek  his  fortune. 
Arriving  at  Chicago  he  fell  in  with  Kibbe,  much  in  the  same 
way  that  I  had  previously  done.  Kibbe's  plausil)le  way  of 
"  putting  things  "  soon  undermined  his  new  pupil's  sense  of 
honor,  with  the  result  that  a  merchandise  swindling  business 
was  put  in  operation,  and  according  to  his  usual  plan  "  The 
Rogue  "  appropriated  all  the  proceeds  of  the  fraud,  just  as  he 
had  previously  done  by  me.  And  like  me,  his  doubly 
deluded  victim  believed  he  could  make  a  fortune  in  this  won- 
derful, newly  discovered  way  —  one  which,  to  his  inexperienced 
mind,  appeared  the  "  open  sesame "  to  easily  and  safely 
acquired  wealth.  Of  course  it  was  not  long  before  he  was  in 
"  trouble." 

I  first  met  him  in  the  "  Tombs,"  where  he  was  a  fellow- 
prisoner  for  a  short  time  in  the  same  cell  with  an  acquaint- 
ance of  mine.  After  I  had  effected  the  release  of  the  latter, 
he  urged  me  to  go  to  the  "  Tombs  "  to  see  and  to  use  my 
"  influence  "  in  behalf  of  his  late  associate.  I  agreed  to  do 
so,  and  a  few  days  later  the  young  man  McDonald  was  also 
set  at  liberty,  he  having  lost  it  as  the  result  of  an  attempt  to 
get  rich  in  the  way  Kibbe  had  shown  him. 

Upon  more  intimate  acquaintance  I  ascertained  that  he 
was  of  a  wealthy  family,  well  able  to  assist  him  into  an  honor- 
able business,  and  urged  him  by  all  means  to  go  home  —  that 


134  WORSE  THAN  FRATRICIDE. 

there  could  be  but  one  end  to  such  practices,  and  that  end  a 
prison.  1  told  him  that  I  had  been  engaged  in  the  perpetra- 
tion of  these  merchandise  frauds  long  enough  to  realize  the 
danger,  still,  as  I  had  no  friends  to  assist  me,  I  must  continue 
on  for  a  short  time  until  I  had  a  small  capital  to  start  with.  1 
also  added  that  each  time  I  had  almost  gained  my  point,  some 
"  trouble  "  had  caused  me  to  expend  all  my  cash  in  exchange 
for  my  own  liberty,  or  that  of  some  of  my  confederates. 
People  seldom  act  on  good  advice,  and  shame  of  appearing 
among  his  friends  also  deterred  him  from  acting  on  mine. 

As  the  time  has  come  when  I  must  introduce  my  brother 
Austin  on  the  scene,  I  will,  in  this  connection,  give  a  brief 
sketch,  showing  how  he  ultimately  became  in  any  way  con- 
nected with  us  in  the  Bank  of  England  affair. 

He  had  been  brought  up  in  the  same  religious  atmosphere 
as  myself,  but,  being  the  youngest  child,  had  escaped  some 
of  the  burdens,  described  in  former  chapters,  that  weighed 
down  the  lives  of  us  who  were  older.  I  have  elsewhere  stated 
that  when  I  finally  joined  Kibbe,  I  supposed  that  his  newly 
invented  mode  of  getting  rich  would  give  me,  in  a  month  or 
two,  all  the  capital  that  I  then  considered  sufficient  to  reestab- 
lish myself  in  a  legitimate  business.  Above  all  things,  I  had 
endeavored  to  conceal  from  my  family  my  wanderings  from 
the  path  of  rectitude.  But  for  the  reasons  already  related,  I 
never  did  succeed  in  reestablishing  myself,  and  am  still,  at 
fifty-five,  working  for  that  end,  only  in  a  different  way  —  one 
which  I  trust  will  meet  the  approval  of  the  many  readers  of 
this  book. 

My  brother  Austin  was  a  fine,  steady  young  man,  and  uni- 
versally regarded  as  one  likely  to  fill  an  honorable  position 
in  the  world. 

Now  what  train  of  circumstances  blasted  those  prospects  ? 
Who  led  him  into  the  maze,  the  intricate  windings  of  which 
at  last  landed  him  within  a  prison's  iron  gates  ?  It  was  I, 
George  Bid  well,  his  brother! 

The  reader  already  knows  the  circumstances  which  turned 


DECEPTION.  135 

my  steps  into  that  maze.  While  engaged  in  a  merchandise 
swindling  operation,  carried  on  under  the  guise  of  a  wholesale 
grocery  and  commission  house,  I  needed  the  assistance  of 
another  reliable  person.  As  the  business  had  every  appear- 
ance of  genuineness,  I  believed  I  could  induce  Austin  to  come 
and  assist  me  until  I  should  be  ready  for  the  wind-up  —  then 
send  him  home  none  the  wiser. 

Enjoining  on  my  partner  the  importance  of  keeping  my 
young  brother  ignorant  of  the  real  nature  of  our  transactions, 
I  accordingly  sent  for  him  and  set  him  at  work,  believing  that 
the  SAvindle  then  in  course  of  execution  would  be  my  very 
last.  Austin  proved  himself  a  very  efficient  assistant.  When 
about  ready  to  close  the  business,  I  made  an  excuse  to  send 
him  home,  and  he  departed,  unsuspicious  as  to  the  real  state 
of  affairs.  Of  course  this  was  not  my  "  very  last  operation," 
and  the  time  came  when  I  found  it  convenient  to  use  his 
services  again  —  and  again. 

After  a  time  his  eyes  became  opened  to  the  real  nature  of 
my  business  operations,  but  so  gradually  that  his  mind  was 
not  shocked  as  it  would  have  been  if  suddenly  enlightened 
regarding  the  dishonest  practices. 

In  the  settlement  with  Kibbe  at  Buffalo,  after  I  had  run 
him  to  earth  in  Canada,  as  related  in  a  previous  chapter,  I 
took  in  payment  a  large  quantity  of  goods  that  had  been 
shipped  to  Henry  Harvey  Short  &  Co.  In  applying  at  the 
depots  and  wharves  for  their  delivery,  I  did  not  dare  do  the 
business  under  an  alias,  for  the  reason  that  in  case  any  of 
the  parties  who  had  shipped  them  should  arrive  and  question 
my  right  to  their  possession,  or  should  arrest  me,  I  could  give 
references  as  to  myself  or  Austin,  and  show  that  I  was  doing 
nothing  illegal,  so  long  as  no  guilty  intent  on  my  part  could 
be  proven.  Therefore,  wishing  to  keep  my  given  name  out 
of  it,  I  rather  inconsiderately  did  the  business  in  the  name  of 
Austin  Bidwell.  In  later  instances  I  did  the  same  thing,  and 
I  have  ascertained,  while  writing  this  book,  that  the  police 
have  him  down  as  the  actual  perpetrator  and  principal  in  that 


136  WELL-NIGH  GUILTLESS. 

and  many  frauds  with  which  he  either  had  nothing  whatever 
to  do,  or  Avhich  had  been  planned  by  myself  and  others.  He 
being  so  much  my  junior,  I  always  felt  a  heavy  responsibility 
resting  on  me,  and  was  ever  more  solicitous  for  his  safety 
than  for  my  own,  after  he  learned  my  mode  of  life.  In  con- 
sequence of  this  feeling  I  kept  him  in  the  background  as  far 
as  possible,  and  would  not  permit  him  to  take  risks  in  any 
operation  in  which  I  was  engaged.  I  may  here  state  that, 
such  was  my  ruling  idea  in  the  subsequent  Bank  of  England 
affair,  I  absolutely  refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it 
unless  Austin  should  first  be  safely  out  of  Great  Britain  — 
we  two  brothers  should  not  at  the  same  time  risk  our  liberty 
in  the  same  operation. 

The  British  government  have  been  informed  that  he  was 
the  principal  actor  in  the  operations  above  referred  to,  and 
many  others  in  America  and  on  the  Continent.  This  I  deny 
in  toto^  as  /am  the  man  who  did  nearly  everything  mistakenly 
attributed  to  him ;  and  I  furthermore  aver  that  Austin  was 
never  a  principal  in  any  fraud  in  either  of  those  countries. 

I  now  fully  realize,  and  for  long  years  have  deeply  grieved, 
the  terrible  ruin  I  unintentionally,  yet  inexcusably,  wrought 
on  his  young  life.  Naturally  wishing  to  exonerate  him,  and 
to  aid  in  removing  any  obstacle  which  may  be  delaying  his 
restoration  to  liberty,  and  consequent  labors  to  reestablish 
himself  as  a  worthy  member  of  society,  I  have  considered  it 
imperative  on  me  to  give  the  above  facts.  I  do  not  claim 
him  to  have  been  an  "  innocent,"  but  a  thousand  times  less 
guilty  throughout  than  myself ;  and  if  given  an  opportunity  to 
begin  life  anew,  he  will  never  disappoint  the  expectations  of 
those  who  are  instrumental  in  gaining  him  that  opportunity. 

Having  enlightened  the  reader  regarding  the  dramatis 
personce  in  the  "  tragedy  "  to  follow,  I  now  resume  the  thread 
of  my  narrative. 

Austin  having  desired  to  accompany  me  to  England,  I 
finally  concluded  to  take  him  along,  as  an  outsider,  in  case 
I  should  be  arrested  and  exigencies  arise  whereby  his  assist- 


LOXDOX  POLICE^IAX.— ST.  PAri.  s  ix  distanxe. 


"WHAT   WILL  HE  DO   WITH  IT?"  ^37 

ance  might  be  required.  In  pursuance  of  Engles'  plan,  he, 
McDonald,  Austin,  and  myself  met  on  board  the  steamer  — 
McDonald's  mother  making  a  considerable  journey  to  see  him 
off,  believing  her  son  to  be  engaged  in  carrying  on  a  large 
business  in  cotton. 

Soon  after  our  arrival  in  London,  Mac  received  an  invita- 
tion to  visit  some  relatives  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  with  whom 
he  was  in  correspondence,  and  invited  Austin  to  accompany 
him,  I  being  absent  from  London  for  three  days.  They  were 
to  start  immediately,  but  Austin  had  ^2,000  of  my  money  in 
his  pocket  in  bank-notes.  Not  liking  to  risk  taking  them 
along  on  the  journey,  it  became  a  question  as  to  how  to  dis- 
pose of  them  until  his  return  from  Ireland.  Finally  it 
occurred  to  him  that  on  the  Avay  to  the  railway  station  he 
could  call  in  and  deposit  it  with  his  tailor,  Mr.  Edward  Ham- 
ilton Green  of  No.  35  Saville  Row,  he  having  an  appointment 
to  call  there  to  try  on  a  new  suit  of  clothes  that  morning. 

Upon  the  occasion  of  the  trial,  sixteen  months  later,  the 
number  of  aliases  used  by  us  caused  some  comment,  and  in 
this  connection  I  may  as  well  show  how  some  of  them  came 
to  be  used ;  though,  as  a  matter  of  course,  when  men  start 
out  with  the  intention  of  taking  part  in  crime  they  generally 
drop  their  right  names  and  use  aliases.  For  example,  in  my 
own  case,  I  regret  to  say  that  I  had  become  so  used  to  aliases 
that  their  employment  had  become  a  matter  of  indifference, 
though  in  private  matters  I  generally  went  in  my  right  name ; 
but  frequently  I  would  give  another  out  of  mere  caprice,  or  a 
sudden  freak.  One  of  these  "  freaks"  came  about  as  follows: 
After  my  arrival  in  England,  it  was  not  long  before  I  had 
occasion  to  offer  in  payment  a  £5  Bank  of  England  note. 
The  dealer  handed  it  back,  and  asked  me  to  put  my  name 
and  address  on  the  back  of  the  note.  "  But,"  I  replied,  "  this 
note  is  payable  to  'bearer,'  and  requires  no  endorsement." 
However,  the  dealer  insisted  that  he  could  not  accept  it  unless 
I  should  endorse  it.  As  such  was  not  the  custom  in  my  own 
country.,  it  looked  to  me  like  a  piece  of  tom-foolery  to  require 


138 


A  FIVE-POUND  NOTE. 


TOM-FOOLERY  AND  "  TOM  NOODLES  ^39 

that  notes  payable  to  the  bearer  should  be  endorsed.  Sud- 
denly 1  seized  a  pen  and  scribbled  on  "  Tom  Noodle,  Thames 
Embankment,"  or  some  other  absurdity,  and  this  was  quite 
satisfactory  to  the  shop-keeper.  Occasionally,  even  when 
paying  cash  for  an  article  in  gold  or  silver,  the  shopman 
would  ask  for  my  name  and  address,  with  a  result  similar  to 
the  above.  At  the  trial  in  the  following  year,  the  prosecution 
desiring  to  overwhelm  us  with  quantity  to  make  up  for  the 
lack  of  quality  and  exactitude  of  evidence,  brought  forward 
every  shop-keeper  to  be  found,  from  whom  any  of  us  had 
made  purchases,  in  order  to  produce  a  worse  impression  by 
the  number  of  aliases ;  and  this  sort  of  thing  was  carried  so 
far  that  several  witnesses  made  mistakes  in  identification,  etc. 
Austin's  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Green  began  in  this  wise : 
Soon  after  his  arrival  in  England,  on  the  18th  day  of  April, 
1872,  he  was  sauntering  along  Saville  Row,  taking  a  general 
view  of  high  life  at  the  "  West  End,"  when  his  eye  lighted  on 
some  cloth  in  a  shop-window.  He  entered  the  place  and 
found  himself  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Green.  He  ordered  and 
paid  for  a  suit,  through  some  freak  giving  the  name  of  F.  A. 
Warren,  Xo.  21  Enfield  Road,  where  I  was  lodging.  Now 
there  is  nothins:  more  certain  than  that  when  this  occurred 

o 

there  was  no  intention  of  using  Mr.  Green  for  any  purpose 
beyond  his  legitimate  business ;  yet  the  prosecution  brought 
this  circumstance  in  as  a  link  in  the  alleged  long-prepared 
scheme  of  fraud. 

The  4th  of  Maj^  following,  on  the  way  to  the  railway 
station,  according  to  the  plan  mentioned  at  the  beginning  of 
this  chapter,  they  had  the  cab  stop  at  Mr.  Green's.  After 
trying  on  the  clothes,  Austin  asked  him  to  keep  £1,200  until 
his  return  from  Ireland.  "  Austin  Bidwell  said  he  had  more 
money  than  he  thought  it  prudent  to  leave  at  his  lodgings, 
and  that  it  was  about  £2,000.  I  did  not  like  to  keep  so  large 
a  sum,  and  recommended  him  to  deposit  it  in  some  bank ; 
adding  that  my  bankers  were  close  at  hand.  Austin  Bidwell 
then  accompanied  me  to  the  Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of 


140 


A  UhTOS/T  AT   THE    W K STERN  -BRANCH. 


England,  where  I  kept  an  account,  and  I  introduced  him  to 
the  assistant  manager,  Mr.  Fenwick."  The  foregoing  are 
Mr.  Green's  own  words  at  the  trial,  and  he  had  "forgotten" 
a  good  deal  which  would  have  shown  Austin's  disinclination 
to  leave  the  money  elsewhere,  giving  as  the  reason  that  he 
should  return  from  Ireland  in  a  few  days ;  but  behind  this 
was  the  consciousness  that  he  was  known  to  Mr.  Green  as 
Warren,  and  in  case  of  an  introduction  to  the  bank  it  must 
necessarily  be  in  that  name. 


""^^^'l^ -nz/fi  e^ 


WESTERN   BRANCH. 


Upon  being  introduced  to  Mr.  Fenwick,  Warren  (as  I 
shall  call  Austin  in  this  connection)  asked  Mr.  Fenwick  to 
give  him  a  simple  receipt  for  the  £1,200,  which  was  the  sum 
he  wished  to  leave.  Mr.  Fenwick  advised  him  to  leave  his 
signature  and  take  a  check-book,  remarking  that  he  would 
find  it  very  convenient  to  be  enabled  to  check  for  money 
wherever  he  happened  to  be.     Warren  declined  accepting  the 


THE   ''WARREN''   BANK  ACCOUNT.  \^\ 

offer,  on  the  ground  that  he  had  no  use  at  that  time  for  a 
bank  account,  and  repeating  that  he  should  want  the  money 
on  his  return  from  Ireland.  This  was  quite  true,  as  I  had 
already  matured  my  plans  to  go  to  Rio  Janeiro,  not  having 
the  remotest  idea  of  any  opening  in  England  for  a  "  specula- 
tion." Mr.  Fenwick  gave  further  reasons  why  it  would  be 
better  to  open  account  with  the  money  than  to  leave  it  other- 
wise, and  finally,  as  McDonald  was  waiting,  he  acceded  to  the 
proposition,  and  started  for  Ireland  with  him. 

I  had  no  knowledge  of  all  this  until  their  return,  three 
or  four  days  later,  and  I  was  greatly  surprised  when  I  was 
told  about  the  Warren  account  with  the  Bank  of  England. 
Indeed,  when  it  was  first  alluded  to  I  paid  no  attention, 
thinking,  as  I  had  a  good  right  to  do,  that  they  were  endeav- 
oring to  "  take  a  rise "  out  of  me.  Not  till  the  bank  and 
check  books  were  produced  did  I  give  their  incredible  story 
any  credit.  Austin  asserted  that  when  going  to  the  bank 
with  Mr.  Green,  he  had  no  idea  that  it  was  to  the  Bank  of 
England.  At  all  events,  after  the  matter  had  been  communi- 
cated to  me  and  duly  considered,  I  could  not  perceive  any 
benefit  to  be  derived  from  a  continuance  of  the  account  in  a 
false  name,  and  as  before  said,  I  had  decided  to  go  to  Rio 
Janeiro,  expecting  to  make  use  of  my  capital  there,  and  then 
go  home  without  returning  to  England.  For  this  reason,  I 
directed  "  Warren "  to  withdraw  the  money  and  close  the 
account. 

Within  a  week  of  his  return  from  Ireland  he  called  at  the 
bank  for  that  purpose.  Now  mark  what  passed.  It  is  a  rule 
of  the  bank  of  England  that  every  depositor  must  keep  a  bal- 
ance of  at  least  three  hundred  pounds.  Warren  informed  the 
manager  of  his  intention  to  close  the  account  as  he  was  intend- 
ing to  leave  England.  Upon  hearing  this  the  same  arguments 
that  were  used  to  induce  him  to  open  the  account  were  again 
brought  forward  to  show  him  the  advantages  which  would 
arise  in  case  the  account  was  continued.  Warren  said  that  he 
expected  to  employ  all  his  money  and  could  not  leave  the  bal- 


142  OFFICIAL  LOOSENESS. 

ance  required  in  order  to  keep  the  account  open.  After  many 
pros  and  cons  he  concluded  to  leave  the  odd  money — a  bal- 
ance of  thirty-nine  pounds  —  at  the  same  time  assuring  the 
manager  that  there  was  no  probability  of  his  having  any  occa- 
sion to  make  use  of  the  account.  A  week  later  I  sailed  from 
Liverpool  on  board  the  Steamship  Lucitania  for  Rio  Janeiro, 
expecting  to  go  around  the  coast  of  South  America  to  San 
Francisco,  and  thence  by  rail  to  New  York,  and  the  bank  of 
England  account  lay  forgotten  until  the  defeat  of  my  South 
American  plan  and  return  to  Europe  the  first  of  September 
following. 

At  the  trial  the  prosecution  slurred  over  this  and  every 
other  fact  which  would  tend  to  show  that  the  "  Great  Bank 
Forgery"  was  not  a  long  planned  scheme.  Also,  in  pursu- 
ance of  their  theory,  which  they  considered  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  establish  in  order  to  clear  the  bank-managers  from  the 
charge  of  looseness  in  conducting  business,  the  witnesses  from 
the  bank  at  the  trial,  on  being  pressed  on  these  points,  had 
"  forgotten  "  or  could  only  say  to  "  the  best  of  their  belief," 
and  so  on.  By  bringing  to  bear  their  more  than  imperial 
power,  unbounded  influence,  and  the  expenditure  of  #350,000, 
they  succeeded  in  "  proving  "  that  we  had  been  working  and 
preparing  the  scheme  during  more  than  a  year  before  the 
possibility  of  such  a  fraud  had  ever  entered  our  heads.  The 
success  of  the  prosecution  on  that  point  was  one  of  the  chief 
causes  which  got  us  life  sentences,  instead  of  the  ten  years  or 
less,  usual  in  cases  of  forgery.  It  may  be  that  I  deserved 
even  so  severe  a  sentence  as  that,  but  surely  some  of  the  others 
— well,  I  refrain,  leaving  the  reader  to  judge  for  himself. 

To  sum  up  the  matter :  The  bank-books  will  corroborate 
my  statement  regarding  the  small' balance  lying  a  long  time 
without  additional  deposits.  The  eagerness  shown  to  have 
"  Warren  "  open  the  account  in  the  first  instance,  and  the  break- 
ing of  a  bank  of  England  rule  in  permitting  the  account  to 
x^emain  open  with  one-eighth  of  the  required  balance — no  busi- 
ness being  transacted  during  three  months  or  more  —  at  the 


A  GOOD  SHOWING. 


143 


time  filled  me  with  surprise,  and  I  can  now  account  for  it 
only  on  the  supposition  that  the  Western  Branch  had  not  been 
long  established,  and  that  the  manager,  or  his  representative, 
wished  to  increase  the  business  as  much  as  possible  in  order 
to  make  a  good  showing  at  the  head  office. 


BANK    OF    ENGLAND    SCENE. VISITOR    HOLDING    £1,000,000    ($5,000,000) 

BANK    OF    ENGLAND    NOTES. 


Chapter  XIV. 


BORDEAUX,  MARSEILLES,  AND  LYONS  "DONATE"  $50,000  —  A  BAD  QUARTER  OP 
AH  HOUR  —  EGGS  AND  PEASANT  WOMEN — "SWEETS  TO  THE  SWEET"  —  A 
MYSTERIOUS  STRANGER  DISAPPEARS  AMONG  THE  TOMBS  —  REUNION  IN  LONDON 
—  COWARDICE  OR   "  PRUDENCE  "   OF  GEORGE  ENGLES. 

BEFORE  leaving  New  York,  Engies  had  come  into  pos- 
session of  several  letters  of  credit  issued  by  the  Bank 
of  North  Wales,  Liverpool,  which  had  been  picked  from  the 
pocket  of  an  English  traveler  while  getting  on  a  train  in 
Jersey  City.  These  the  thief  had  discovered  were  worthless 
to  him,  and  as  there  are  threads  of  intercommunication  run- 
ning through  all  the  different  classes  of  criminals,  it  was 
surmised  that  though  the  papers  were  valueless  to  an  ordinary 
thief,  the  opposite  might  be  the  case  with  a  forger.  We  pro- 
ceeded to  make  use  of  them  in  the  subsequent  fraudulent 
operations  by  which  French  bankers  were  victimized.  I 
purchased  a  circular  letter  of  credit  from  the  London  and 
Westminster  Bank,  one  of  the  largest  banking  institutions  at 
that  time  in  Great  Britain,  the  Bank  of  England  excepted, 
and  about  the  only  one  which  did  not  require  any  reference 
regarding  the  above  purchase.  I  next  procured  lithographed 
letter  heads  which  were  facsimiles  of  those  in  use  at  the 
London  and  Westminster  Bank.  In  the  letter  of  credit  was 
a  list  of  the  bank's  correspondents  throughout  the  world,  so 
that  the  traveler  might  get  the  notes  which  were  attached  to 
his  letter  turned  into  the  currency  of  whatever  country  he 
happened  to  be  in.  On  the  lithographed  letter-sheets  men- 
tioned above  were  written  letters  of  introduction  addressed 
(say)  Messrs.  Smith  &  Co.,  Bordeaux ;  Brune  &  Co.,  Mar- 
seilles ;  Blank  &  Co.,  Lyons ;  all  reading  as  follows : 

(144) 


THE  RIGHT  HONORABLE  SIR  SIDNEY  WATERLOW, 

Lord  Mayor  of  London  in  1S73,  in  official  costume. 


A  TRIP  TO  FRANCE.  145 

[Printed  letter  heading.] 

LoNDOx  AND  Westminster  Bank, 
London,  March  22,   1872. 
Messrs.  Smith  &  Co.,  Bordeaux,  France: 

Gentlemen,  —  A  valued  customer  of  ours,  Mr.  Thomas  Hooker, 
is  about  to  visit  your  city.  Mr.  Hooker  holds  our  circular  letter  of 
credit,  also  special  letters  of  credit  issued  by  the  Bank  of  North 
"Wales.  We  shall  take  pleasure  in  honoring  any  drafts  which  he 
may  have  occasion  to  draw  against  these.  Whatever  you  may  find 
it  convenient  to  do  in  forwarding  his  business  affairs,  or  contributing 
to  his  enjoyment,  will,  as  occasion  offers,  be  cordially  reciprocated. 
I  remain,  gentlemen,  very  sincerely, 

(say)  Lewis  Smith, 
Manager  London  and  Westminster  Bank. 

I  have  forgotten  the  names  given,  and  make  use  of  any 
others  by  way  of  illustration.  These  letters  were  mailed  in 
London,  envelopes  sealed  with  wax,  and  stamped  in  exact 
imitation  of  thase  sent  out  by  the  bank.  The  day  they  were 
mailed  I  went  alone  to  France,  having  in  my  possession  the 
genuine  circular  letter  of  credit  with  notes  attached,  issued 
by  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank,  and  three  false  letters 
of  credit  purporting  to  be  issued  by  the  North  Wales  Bank, 
for  about  three  thousand  pounds  each.  All  these  documents 
had  been  written  by  George  Engies. 

Crossing  the  channel  from  Dover  to  Calais,  the  small, 
black,  side-wheel  steamer  —  a  pitching,  rollicking,  little  mon- 
ster—  seemed  to  enjoy  all  the  discomforts  of  the  passengers 
aboard.  In  due  time  I  arrived  at  Paris,  and  without  delay 
took  the  train  for  Bordeaux. 

Before  leaving  London,  letters  were  posted  to  Thomas 
Hooker,  in  care  of  the  firms  I  intended  to  victimize  in  the 
three  cities  named.  Therefore,  on  arriving  at  Bordeaux,  I 
called  on  Smith  &  Co.,  and  inquired  if  there  were  letters  for 
me.  They  at  once  gave  me  the  one  mailed  to  myself,  which 
had  come  in  the  same  mail  with  one  for  their  firm  purporting 
to  be  from  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank.  The  receipt  of 
10 


146  ''MR.  HOOKERS'    WELL  RECEIVED. 

mj  letter  satisfied  me  that  Smith  &  Co.  had  received  theirs, 
which  must  naturally  place  me  very  high  in  their  estimation. 
During  my  criminal  career  I  never  could  avoid  experiencing 
a  certain  qualm,  when  taking  advantage  of  the  confidence 
placed  in  me  by  gentlemen  who  received  me  courteously 
and  with  marked  attention.  But  the  thirst  for  riches,  once 
implanted,  will  lead  any  man  to  unthought-of  depths  of 
infamy.  As  soon  as  these  gentlemen  were  aware  that  I  was 
"  Mr.  Hooker,"  they  lavished  every  attention  upon  me  — 
invited  me  to  dinner,  and  a  drive  through  the  city  afterward. 
I  thanked  them,  and  explained  that  I  was  obliged  to  decline, 
as  my  agent  was  waiting  for  me  at  Bayonne,  where  I  had 
purchased  some  real  estate ;  and  having  been  recommended 
to  their  firm,  I  should  feel  obliged  if  they  would  cash  my 
draft  for  two  thousand  pounds,  and  endorse  it  on  my  letter  of 
credit  (handing  over  one  on  the  North  Wales  Bank).  Mr. 
Smith  replied  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the  French  bankers 
to  require  twenty-four  hours'  notice  before  drawing  a  check, 
and  asked  me  if  the  next  day  would  not  answer.  "  We  shall 
be  happy  to  assist  you,"  said  he,  "  in  passing  the  time  pleas- 
antly." This  was  a  new  custom  to  me,  but  I  answered 
instantly,  expressing  regret  that  the  nature  of  my  business 
precluded  delay,  it  being  necessary  that  I  should  reach 
Bayonne  that  night.  "  I  suppose,"  continued  I,  "  that  your 
bankers  will  not  mind  your  checking  out  a  small  sum  without 
the  usual  notice.  However,  if  it  occasions  any  embarrass- 
ment or  inconvenience,  I  can  easily  procure  the  money  else- 
where." One  of  the  partners  replied  that  their  bank  would 
without  doubt  honor  their  check,  and  the  matter  should  be 
attended  to  at  once.  I  sat  down  for  a  half  hour,  conversing 
on  a  variety  of  topics.  Of  course  this  was  a  most  trying 
period  to  me ;  the  least  show  of  haste  or  anxiety  might 
have  betrayed  me  to  those  lynx-eyed,  experienced  men  of 
business.  In  the  midst  of  our  conversation,  an  undercurrent 
of  thought  kept  running  through  my  mind,  thus :  "  Who 
knows  but  they  have  sent  a  dispatch  to  the   London  and 


IN  MARSEILLES.  147 

Westminster  Bank,  merely  as  a  matter  of  business  precau- 
tion, and  that  they  are  delaying  me  to  get  a  reply  ?  In  that 
case,  I  shall  have  a  good  opportunity  to  learn  the  pure  French 
accent,  while  passing  my  days  in  the  Bagnio  at  Toulon." 
At  last,  however,  the  amount  was  paid  over  to  me  in  French 
bank-notes.  I  deliberately  counted  them,  and  took  leave, 
lighter  in  mind,  and  heavier  in  purse  by  fifty  thousand 
francs. 

I  had  arranged  with  Engles  (whose  merits  for  a  criminal 
calling  in  the  way  of  cowardice  were  described  in  a  former 
chapter)  to  go  every  morning  to  the  Queen's  Hotel,  London, 
for  letters  which  I  should  send  addressed  to  "  H.  Cowper." 

After  receiving  the  money,  I  enclosed  it  in  a  large,  envel- 
ope, addressing  it  to  Cowper,  London.  I  also  wrote  on  the 
envelope:  " Echantillions  du  papier"  (z.  e.,  samples  of  paper), 
after  which  I  posted  it  at  the  post-office. 

As  I  wished  to  reduce  the  risk  as  much  as  possible  (the 
train  for  Marseilles  not  leaving  for  three  hours),  I  took  a 
carriage  and  told  the  driver  to  carry  me  towards  the  next 
station  on  the  route  to  that  city.  After  we  were  fairly  out  in 
the  country,  I  got  outside  and  sat  with  the  driver,  discoursing 
with  him  about  the  country  we  were  driving  through,  arriving 
in  the  village  about  half  an  hour  before  the  train  from  Bor- 
deaux was  due.  I  dismissed  my  driver  at  a  small  village 
cabaret  or  tavern,  walked  to  the  station,  got  aboard  the  train, 
and  early  the  next  morning  was  in  Marseilles.  I  breakfasted 
at  the  Hotel  d'  Europe,  and  looked  over  the  papers  to  see  if 
the  Bordeaux  fraud  had  been  discovered.  As  I  could  see  no 
indication  of  it,  about  10  a.  m.  I  took  a  carriage  and  went  to 
call  on  Messrs.  Brune  <fe  Co. 

Here,  as  before,  I  found  a  letter  for  Mr.  Hooker,  which 
assured  me  that  they  had  received  the  bogus  one  addressed  to 
themselves,  consequently  every  thing  looked  clear  for  the 
fresh  fraud  contemplated. 

On  making  myself  known  I  was,  as  usual,  received  with 
the  utmost  courtesy,  began  to  talk  business,  and  one  of  the 


148  TERRORS  OF  A  GUILTY  CONSCIENCE. 

firm  got  into  my  carriage  and  rode  with  me  to  his  bank  to 
effect  the  sale  of  my  draft  on  London  for  the  sum  of  £2,500. 
Arriving  at  the  bank  I  took  a  seat  in  the  front  office,  while  Mr. 
Brune  went  into  the  manager's  room  to  introduce  the  transac- 
tion ;  the  clerks  eyed  me  as  I  thought  suspiciously,  but  doubt- 
less only  curiously,  because  they  perceived  I  was  a  foreigner. 
Another  thing  which  I  noticed  sent  a  shiver  through  me. 
After  Mr.  Brune  had  been  a  few  minutes  in  the  manager's 
room,  the  bank  porter  stepped  to  the  outer  door,  closed  and 
locked  it.  It  being  but  12  o'clock,  I  imagined  the  precau- 
tionary measure  must  be  due  to  my  presence.  "The  Bor- 
deaux affair  is  discovered  and  has  been  telegraphed  all  over 
France,"  was  my  first  thought ;  "  all  is  over  with  me.  I  am  a 
candidate  for  a  French  prison,  sure.  My  poor  wife !  My  poor 
children  !     Alas  !  what  a  fool  have  I  been  !  " 

These  and  a  thousand  other  thoughts  flashed  through  my 
mind  during  the  quarter  of  an  hour  preceding  Mr.  Brune's 
reappearance  with  his  hands  full  of  bank-notes.  I  could 
hardly  believe  my  eyes.  I  had  suppressed  all  signs  of  the 
internal  hurricane  which  raged  during  those  prolonged  mo- 
ments of  suspense. 

Now  the  revulsion  of  feeling  was  so  great  that  I  nearly 
fainted.  However,  by  prodigious  mental  effort,  I  recovered 
my  self-possession  and  effectually  masked  all  inward  con- 
vulsions. 

Mr.  Brune  placed  in  my  hands  sixty-two  thousand  francs, 
in  notes  of  the  Bank  of  France,  and  we  then  descended  to  the 
carriage  and  drove  to  my  hotel,  where,  after  mutual  express- 
ions of  esteem,  I,  a  base  swindler,  separated  forever  from  a 
victimized  and  honest  man.  I  paid  my  bill  at  the  hotel  and 
at  once  made  preparations  to  start  for  Lyons,  which  was  tt) 
be  the  next  and  last  scene  of  my  operations  in  France. 

As  my  train  did  not  leave  for  three  hours,  I  got  into  a 
carriage  at  some  distance  from  the  hotel  and  was  driven 
towards  the  next  station,  located  on  the  beautiful  bay  a  few 
miles  from  Marseilles. 


A  DISPATCH  TO  LYONS.  149 

After  driving  along  the  shore  of  the  bay  for  some  miles  I 
remember  we  met  two  women,  dressed  in  the  quaint  costume 
common  to  that  part  of  the  country,  each  carrying  a  basket 
of  eggs.  I  stopped  the  carriage  and  endeavored  to  enter  into 
conversation  with  the  pair,  but  could  not  understand  a  word  of 
their  patois.  I  then  took  a  couple  of  eggs,  handed  out  a  silver 
franc  piece,  and  drove  on,  leaving  two  astonished  women 
standing  in  the  road,  gazing  alternately  at  the  piece  of  money 
and  at  the  back  of  my  carriage.  Arriving  at  the  station  I 
found  it  would  be  an  hour  and  a  half  to  train  time,  and  driv- 
ing to  a  hotel  on  the  shore,  I  ordered  dinner  to  be  served  in 
the  upper  room  of  a  two  story  tower  overlooking  the  bay,  with 
Marseilles  in  the  distance.  After  dining  I  strolled  along  the 
beach,  looking  at  some  queer  fish,  not  found  north  of  the 
Mediterranean,  their  colors  vying  in  brilliancy  with  the 
plumage  of  tropical  birds.  Returning  to  the  station  I  took  a 
ticket  for  Lyons,  stopping  off  at  Aries  about  sunset,  as  I 
wished  to  see  the  ampitheatre  and  other  relics  of  the  Roman 
occupation. 

I  sent  a  dispatch  to  Lyons  addressed  to  myself  (Hooker), 
care  of  Messrs.  Blank  &  Co.,  as  follows: 

"T.  Hooker:  Bring  sixty  thousand  francs  to  Aries  at  once,  as 
I  have  completed  the  purchase.  C.  E.  Hooker. 

It  will  be  seen  what  use  I  made  of  this  dispatch.  I  re- 
mained in  Aries  till  midnight,  then  took  the  train  arriving'  in 
Lyons  at  nine  the  next  morning.  Repairing  to  the  Hotel-de- 
Lyons  I  had  breakfast,  and  on  looking  over  the  papers, 
became  satisfied  that  as  yet  no  discovery  had  been  made. 
Therefore  I  resolved  to  carry  out  my  third  and  last  financial 
enterprise,  and  then  return  to  London  with  all  speed. 

I  called  a  carriage  and  drove  at  once  to  the  establishment 
of  Messrs.  Blank  &  Co.  Here  I  found  a  letter  from  London 
and  the  dispatch  from  Aries.  I  sat  near  the  desk  convers- 
ing with  the  head  of  the  firm  as  these  were  handed  me.  I 
opened  the  letter  and  found  nothing  but  a  blank  sheet  of 


^50  BACK  TO  PARIS. 

paper,  having  forgotten  that  one  of  them  had  thus  been  sent. 
I  saw  the  merchant's  eye  on  it,  and  remarked  in  an  explana- 
tory way,  "  I  see,  it  is  written  with  sympathetic  ink,"  and  put 
it  in  my  pocket.  I  then  opened  the  dispatch  sent  from  Aries, 
and  after  reading,  handed  it  to  him  saying :  "  I  see  that  I 
shall  have  use  for  sixty  thousand  francs,  and  must  ask  you  to 
cash  a  draft  on  my  letter  of  credit  for  that  amount."  He 
immediately  stepped  to  the  safe,  took  out  a  bundle  of  one 
thousand  franc  notes,  and  counting  out  sixty  gave  them  to  me, 
I,  of  course,  signing  a  draft  on  the  London  and  Westminster 
bank,  and  having  the  amount  endorsed  on  my  forged  letter  of 
credit. 

As  it  was  almost  certain  that  the  Bordeaux  fraud  would 
soon  be  discovered,  I  determined,  now  that  my  dishonor- 
able work  was  completed,  to  attempt  an  immediate  escape 
from  France,  by  way  of  Paris  and  Calais.  I  did  not,  there- 
fore, take  the  train  direct  from  Lyons  to  Paris,  but  engaged 
a  carriage  and  drove  back  to  a  junction  toward  Marseilles. 
Here  I  took  a  train  which  intersects  farther  to  the  northward 
with  another  road  leading  through  Lyons  to  Paris.  After 
going  the  roundabout  route  above  described,  I  was  back  at 
the  Lyons  station  at  9  p.  m.,  in  a  train  bound  for  Paris,  where 
I  arrived  without  further  incident. 

The  next  morning  (Sunday)  as  I  left  the  railway  station, 
I  thought  detectives  were  watching  me,  but  in  all  probability 
it  was  only  the  imagination  of  a  guilty  conscience.  I  was  then 
wearing  a  full  beard,  and  as  a  precautionary  measure  I  that 
morning  had  all  shaved  off  save  the  mustache.  Not  daring 
to  leave  Paris  on  the  through  express,  which  started  at  three 
o'clock  p.  M.,  nor  to  purchase  a  ticket  to  either  Calais  or  Lon- 
don direct,  I  went  to  the  station,  and  took  the  noon  accommo- 
dation train  which  went  no  farther  toward  Calais  than  Arras, 
a  town  some  thirty  miles  from  Paris.  I  arrived  there  about 
one  P.  M. 

As  it  would  be  about  three  hours  before  the  express  train 
was  due  I  went  to  a  small  hotel  and  ordered  dinner.    To  while 


''MERC I,  MONSIEUR!''  \^\ 

away  the  time  I  took  a  stroll  through  the  main  street,  where 
were  many  mothers  and  nm'ses  with  children,  nice  black-eyed 
French  babies.  As  I  was  always  a  devoted  lover  of  children 
and  other  small  creatm^es,  I  stepped  into  a  shop  and  bought  a 
package  of  confectionary,  which  I  distributed  among  the  little 
ones  and  their  smiling  nurses,  receiving  therefor,  almost  invari- 
ably, the  grateful  exclamation,  "  Merci,  Mojasieur  !  "  I  gave 
some  to  children  eight  and  ten  years  old,  a  crowd  of  whom 
soon  gathered  about  me.  Perceiving  that  I  was  attracting  too 
much  attention,  it  was  clear  that  I  must  get  rid  of  my  young 
friends  as  soon  as  possible,  or  the  police  would  also  be 
attracted,  and  their  presence  might  lead  to  unpleasant  results 
in  case  the  frauds  had  been  discovered  and  enquiry  was  being 
made  for  an  ''  Englishman."  Purchasing  a  second  supply  of 
candies  I  hastily  gave  them  out,  and  with  a  "  Restez  ici  mes 
enfants^''  I  passed  through  them  and  continued  my  walk  up 
the  street.  Quite  a  number  followed  at  a  respectful  distance, 
and  I  was  cogitating  how  to  double  on  them  when  I  came  to 
the  gateway  of  the  town  cemetery,  through  which  I  hastily 
entered.  The  children  remained  outside  and  watched  me  as 
I  walked  up  the  slope  and  disappeared.  At  the  rear  of  the 
cemetery  I  observed  an  old  man  at  work  in  the  adjoining 
field.  I  climbed  upon  the  stone  wall,  which  instantly  crum- 
bled away,  and  I  was  landed  on  the  old  Frenchman's  domain 
without  leave,  amidst  a  pile  of  stones.  Startled  by  the  racket, 
he  looked  up  from  his  digging,  and,  seeing  a  stranger  uprising 
from  the  ruins  of  the  fence,  began  consigning  him  to  "  le  dia- 
hle^^^  with  a  volley  of  vigorous  French  expletives  delivered  in 
peasant  patois.  I  listened  to  him  much  amused  for  a  moment, 
and  then  held  up  a  five  franc  piece.  As  soon  as  he  beheld  it 
a  wondrous  change  came  over  him.  He  eagerly  seized  the 
silver  and  straightway  showed  me  to  a  lane  which  led  almost 
directly  to  the  railway  station.  I  purchased  a  ticket  for 
Calais  and  took  the  Sunday  afternoon  express,  arriving  in 
London  the  next  morning,  after  an  absence  of  but  four  days. 
The  money  procured  in  Lyons  I  had  with  me,  but  the  one 


252  ENGLES'  PUSILLANIMITY. 

hundred  thousand  francs  sent  by  mail  without  registry  I  was 
uneasy  about.  I  therefore  hastened  to  find  my  companions  to 
ascertain  if  the  letters  had  been  received  at  the  Queen's  hotel. 
Engles  had  been  left  in  London  to  secure  the  money-letters 
at  the  hotel  as  fast  as  they  should  arrive.  But  he  had  been 
afraid  to  go  there  and  inquire  for  them,  and  when  I  reached 
London,  I  was  thunderstruck  at  his  rather  too  extreme  cau- 
tion. I  immediately  took  a  valuable  hand-bag  filled  with 
linen,  etc.,  went  direct  to  the  hotel,  registered  the  name  to 
which  I  had  addressed  the  letters,  asked  if  there  were  any 
letters  for  me,  and  they  were  all  handed  over  forthwith.  I 
had  the  lady  clerk  assign  me  a  room,  and  left  my  bag.  I  then 
walked  leisurely  away,  and  have  never  been  back  for  the  bag 
to  this  day.  The  principal  reason  for  leaving  Engles  in  Lon- 
don was  to  give  him  an  unobstructed  opportunity  to  exchange 
the  foreign  bank-notes  into  English  gold  before  my  first 
bogus  draft  should  arrive,  for  as  soon  as  the  detectives  were 
put  on  the  fraud,  they  would  go  at  once  to  all  the  London 
Exchanges  and  broker's  offices  to  watch  for  any  one  who 
offered  large  sums  in  French  notes.  Owing  to  his  pusillanim- 
ity I  had  been  obliged,  after  returning  from  my  trip  to  France, 
to  undergo  the  additional  hazard  of  calling  at  the  Queen's 
hotel.  Engles  having  thus  failed  to  act  his  part,  we  were 
encumbered  with  a  large  amount  of  French  paper  and  a  bag 
of  foreign  gold  which  could  not  be  offered  safely  for  exchange 
in  London.  I  therefore  decided  that  Engles  should  go  to 
Paris,  accompanied  by  one  who  had  played  no  part  in  the 
fraud,  as  an  assistant,  leaving  myself,  the  guiltier  one,  safe  in 
London.  They  accordingly  left  at  once,  Engles  taking  the 
bag  of  gold,  and  his  companion  the  notes.  The  latter  after- 
wards informed  me  that,  during  the  whole  journey  from  Lon- 
don to  Paris,  Engles  sat  with  the  bag  of  gold  under  his  coat, 
ready  in  case  of  any  imagined  emergency  to  throw  it  out  of 
the  window  or  overboard  while  crossing  the  channel.  After 
their  arrival  in  Paris  the  assistant  was  obliged  to  do  the  whole 
business,  not  only  of  selling   the   gold  but  also  the   notes. 


A  ''BRILLIANT''   OPERATION  ENDED.  ;[53 

While  he  \vas  in  different  brokers'  offices — for  he  did  not  dare 
to  offer  a  large  amount  in  one  place  —  Engies  stood  at  a  distance, 
ready  to  run  away  at  the  slightest  indication  of  danger.  How- 
ever, they  arrived  safely  back  in  London  with  the  proceeds  of 
my  three  days'  nefarious  work  in  France. 

And  thus  ended  —  viewed  from  the  forger's  standpoint  — 
perhaps  as  brilliant  a  "  solo  "  operation  as  has  been  recorded 
in  the  annals  of  crime. 


Chapter  XV. 


"the  terror  of  wall  street"  returns  to  new  YORK  — takes  parties  of 

FORGERS  TO  ENGLAND  AND  THE  CONTINENT  —  HE  IS  ARRESTED  —  FRUITLESS 
examples  —  STARTS  A  FARO  BANK  —  FIGHTS  STRANGE  "  TIGERS  "  —  HIS  PRE- 
MATURE DEATH  IN  1886 — VOYAGE  TO  RIO  JANEIRO — THE  LADY  OF  THE  LUCl- 
TANIA  —  A  SWEDISH  COLONEL'S  PARTY  OF  ENGLISH  ENGINEERS — A  BIBULOUS 
CHAPLAIN  —  $50,000  ON  BOGUS  LETTERS  OF  CREDIT  —  MR.  SOLOMONS  —  AN 
ANXIOUS  TIME — MUNSON  IN  A  "  FIX  "  —  STRATEGIC  MOVEMENTS  TO  EXTRICATE 
HIM. 

ENGLES  remained  in  London  about  a  week,  prepai^ng 
forged  papers  for  me  to  use  on  the  trip  to  South 
America,  which  was  already  decided  upon,  and  then  took 
steamer  for  New  York  from  Liverpool.  On  the  same  day  I 
sailed  for  Rio  Janeiro,  accompanied  by  one  known  in  this 
adventure  as  Munson.  Since  my  return  from  England  I  have 
heard  some  particulars  of  Engles'  life  and  death  since  we 
parted  in  Liverpool. 

In  1879  Engles  sent  a  party  to  England  who  took  over 
drafts  forged  by  him  with  which  they  procured  $40,000  from 
Seligman  &  Co.,  bankers,  London.  Our  party  were  sentenced 
for  life,  as  a  warnino^  that  Ensles  and  Wilkes  should  not 
attempt  their  operations  in  England.  But  I  have  ascertained 
that  during  the  time  I  was  in  prison,  not  a  year  elapsed  that 
one  or  the  other  did  not  either  go  over  or  send  a  gang  with 
forged  paper,  prepared  by  them  in  New  York. 

In  1880,  in  company  with  Wilkes,  Hamilton,  and  Burns, 
Engles  we7it  to  Italy,  where  all  but  himself  were  arrested, 
Burns  killing  himself  while  in  prison. 

Hamilton  and  he  were  chained  to  the  wall  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  room.     Wilkes'  confession  plunged  Burns  into  a 

(154) 


KILLED  BY  A  PRAYER-BOOK.  \^^ 

state  of  desperation.  He  seized  upon  a  prayer-book,  lay  down, 
and  bending  the  covers  back  he  placed  two  corners  each  side 
of  his  wind-pipe  and  pressed  so  hard  that  he  choked  to 
death. 

Hamilton  from  his  side  of  the  room  gazed  upon  this  fear- 
ful scene,  at  first  too  horror-stricken  to  act,  then  began 
screaming  and  shouting  madly  for  assistance,  but  none  of  the 
Italian  jailers  were  aroused  by  his  frantic  efforts  until  after 
his  friend  had  accomplished  his  purpose. 

And  we  were  incarcerated  for  life  as  a  warning  to  prevent 
forgers  from  coming  into  Europe !  I  think  that  I  have 
remarked  elsewhere  that  the  imprisonment  of  one  person  sel- 
dom has  any"  warning"  effect  upon  others, because  no  person 
takes  part  in  a  crime  committed  to  obtain  money,  unless  he 
feels  sure  that  his  arrangements  are  such  as  to  secure  his 
escape  —  despite  all  examples  to  the  contrary,  each  one 
believes  himself  the  one  who  will  not  be  caught. 

As  stated,  Engles  escaped  from  Italy  and  was  arrested, 
but  for  want  of  proof  the  extradition  case  against  him  failed, 
and  United  States  Commissioner  Osborne  discharged  him 
from  custody.  He  had,  however,  lain  in  the  Ludlow  Street 
jail  over  twelve  months,  during  which  time  the  case  against 
him  was  in  progress.  In  1884  he  made  up  another  party, 
going  to  England  himself,  and  obtained  a  large  sum  on  forged 
paper. 

On  every  occasion  some  of  the  men  were  arrested  and 
imprisoned  for  presenting  the  forged  paper.  While  in  prison, 
at  different  times,  I  had  word  sent  to  me  by  prisoners  that 
they  were  in  for  presenting  forged  paper,  and  that  they  had 
come  to  England  with  Engles.  Two  of  them  were  Hebrews 
of  respectable  birth,  natives  of  Poland,  who  had  lived  in  New 
York  for  several  years.  When  arrested  they  were  sharp 
enough  not  to  let  it  transpire  that  they  were  from  America, 
in  consequence  of  which  they  got  off  with  five  years'  penal 
servitude,  instead  of  the  fifteen,  or  life  sentences,  which  would 
have  been  given  them  had  it  been  known  that  Engles  had 
brought  them  to  England. 


156  ^^^  ''TIGER''  INSUFFICIENT. 

In  the  relation  of  Engles'  European  operations,  I  have  some- 
what anticipated  my  story,  and  will  resume  it  with  his  arrival 
in  New  York  in  1872,  and  his  establishment  of  a  faro  bank  in 
that  city.  His  peculiar  reputation  among  the  "  crooks "  of 
America  brought  to  his  place  many  people  ambitious  to  fight 
the  "  tiger."  He  would  soon  have  become  a  second  John 
Morrissey,  had  he  only  been  able  to  restrain  his  own  pro- 
pensity for  drink  and  gaming ;  but  these  habits  had  now 
become  so  firmly  fixed  that  he  was  no  longer  master  of  him- 
self. He  had  a  great  many  "ropers-in"  —  those  who  lounge 
about  the  hotels,  make  acquaintance  with  merchants  and 
other  visitors  from  the  country,  and  entice  them  into  gam- 
bling-houses and  other  dens.  A  "roper-in"  is  a  well-dressed, 
plausible-speaking  man,  one  who  has  the  faculty  of  conveying 
to  strangers  the  idea  that  he  is  one  of  themselves ;  and  is 
paid  one-half  of  all  the  money  he  can,  "by  hook  or  by  crook," 
induce  his  dupe  to  disburse  at  the  various  dens  visited.  Such 
gaming-houses  as  the  one  in  question  pay  these  pimps  one- 
half  of  all  the  money  "  won  "  from  their  j^'^oteges,  they  acting 
as  mentors  and  advisers  to  their  confiding  dupes.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  mutually  profitable  arrangement,  Engles  gained 
a  great  deal  in  the  way  of  "winnings"  at  his  own  faro 
bank,  but  soon  tired  of  playing,  in  effect,  against  himself, 
for  whether  losing  or  winning,  there  was  no  risk  of  ultimate 
loss.  Therefore,  he  could  feel  none  of  that  peculiar  excite- 
ment, kept  at  fever  heat,  which  had  become  necessary,  and 
which  he  had  experienced  while  throwing  his  ill-gotten 
gold  lavishly  into  the  jaws  of  some  other  gambler's  "  tiger," 
especially  those  at  that  time  on  exhibition  at  the  splendid 
establishments  of  the  "  Honorable "  John  Morrissey  in  New 
York,  and  at  Saratoga  during  the  fashionable  season.  At 
these  were  lost  most  of  the  large  sums  procured  by  the  ex- 
tensive gold  forgeries  in  Wall  Street  and  elsewhere.  Engles 
was  the  only  gambler  with  whom  I  ever  had  anything  to  do, 
as  I  considered  it  especially  dangerous  to  do  any  "  crooked  " 
business  with  the  assistance  of  either  gamesters  or  drunkards. 


IN  '•  THE  BAY  OF  BISCAY,  0."  157 

It  was  now  the  same  as  it  had  been  with  the  large  sums 
obtained  by  forgery,  for  all  the  booty  raked  in  at  his  own 
establishment  was  immediately  staked  and  lost  elsewhere, 
regardless  of  the  claims  of  an  affectionate  wife  and  children. 
His  taste  for  brandy  had  so  grown  upon  him  that  he  required, 
more  and  more,  the  stimulus  afforded  by  that  potent  fluid,  and 
was  constantly  under  its  influence.  His  originally  strong 
constitution  succumbed  at  last  to  the  long-continued  strain, 
and  he  died  miserably,  after  a  year's  sickness,  in  1886,  leav- 
ing his  family  impoverished.  His  wife  is  carrying  on  a  small 
business  near  New  York,  and  endeavoring  to  bring  up  her 
children  to  become  respectable  members  of  society. 

The  reader's  attention  is  now  directed  to  the  steamship 
Lucitania,  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Line,  ploughing  the  Avaters  of 
the  rough  "  Bay  of  Biscay,  0."  While  she  is  rapidly  approach- 
ing the  coast  of  France,  I  will  relate  what  preparations  were 
made  in  London  to  carry  out  the  object  of  our  voyage.  While 
"  W^arren "  was  settling  up  his  account,  though  leaving  a 
small  balance  at  the  Bank  of  England  as  previously  described, 
Engles  had  busied  himself  in  completing  the  forged  letters  of 
credit  that  I  was  to  take  with  me  on  our  voyage.  These  pur- 
ported to  be  drawn  and  issued  by  the  London  and  West- 
minster Bank.  In  filling  them  out  he  had  signed  only  the 
manager's  name,  but  as  I  had  noticed  that  in  the  "  circular  " 
letters  of  credit  issued  by  that  bank,  both  that  and  the  sub- 
manager's  name  were  signed,  I  argued  that  the  same  should 
be  done  in  regard  to  the  ''  special "  letters.  But  Engles 
insisted  that  one  name  was  sufiicient,  because,  as  he  stated,  he 
had  seen  several  genuine  letters  of  credit  of  the  same  descrip- 
tion, which  had  been  issued  by  the  Bank  of  North  Wales, 
Liverpool,  with  the  manager's  name  only.  Nothing  could 
induce  him  to  put  on  both  names,  although  he  might  have 
done  it  in  a  few  minutes,  and  he  being  an  "  old  head  "  in  the 
business  I  was  reluctantly  obliged  to  give  way.  As  will  be 
seen  in  the  sequel,  the  want  of  acumen  shown  in  this  instance 
by  my  usually  astute  confederate,  saved  the  good  bankers  of 


158  ^^  AFFECTIONATE  EXHIBITION. 

South  America,  in  all  probability,  a  million  of  dollars,  defeat- 
ing my  project  at  the  outset,  and  causing  us  to  return  to 
England  contrary  to  our  wishes  or  expectations.  It  may  be 
curious  to  note  here,  as  an  instance  of  how  slight  a  thing  may 
change  the  whole  future  life  of  a  man,  that  this  decision  of 
Engles  not  to  spend  five  minutes  in  putting  on  another  name, 
led  to  the  discovery  of  the  plan  to  make  use  of  the  Bank  of 
England  account,  and  all  that  followed.  And  this,  besides 
the  narrow  escape  (about  to  be  recounted)  from  passing  our 
lives  on  the  island  of  Fernando  da  Noronha,  which  lies  in  the 
Atlantic  about  three  hundred  miles  off  the  coast  of  Brazil. 
On  this  island  is  located  the  one  great  convict  establishment 
to  which  are  transported  the  convicts  of  the  Brazilian  Empire. 
Both  on  the  voyage  and  return  the  steamer  passed  within 
sight  of  it,  and  on  each  occasion  the  view  excited  within  me 
very  curious  feelings — in  going,  the  thought  that,  despite  my 
precautions,  we  might  find  the  end  of  our  journey  there  —  and  in 
returning,  the  thought  of  our  narrow  escape  from  being  there 
instead  of  on  board  the  steamer  in  the  enjoyment  of  all 
luxuries. 

To  resume  —  the  good  steamship  Lueitania  rapidly  neared 
the  mouth  of  the  Garonne,  or  Gironde,  on  an  estuary  of 
which  is  situated  the  old  city  of  Bordeaux.  Arriving  there, 
she  lay  at  anchor  for  some  hours,  taking  in  and  discharging 
freight,  and  receiving  emigrants  for  various  parts  of  South 
America.  When  the  steamer  was  about  to  leave,  it  Avas  a 
strange  and  rather  comical  sight  to  witness  the  farewells  and 
leave-takings  from  the  crowds  of  friends  who  had  come  to  see 
them  off.  The  customary  performance  appeared  to  me  so 
peculiar  that  I  will  describe  it  as  well  as  I  can  after  so  many 
years :  Two  men  standing  face  to  face,  one  clasps  the  other 
round  the  body,  the  other  passive,  then  leaning  back  lifts  the 
party  clear  off  the  ground  once,  twice,  or  thrice,  probably 
according  to  the  degree  of  relationship  or  amount  of  affection  ; 
then  the  operation  is  reversed,  the  embraced  becoming  the 
embracer.     In  some  cases  the  ceremonial  is  repeated  the  sec- 


LISBON.  159 

ond  or  third  time,  neither  kissing  nor  crying  being  the  fashion 
there. 

The  next  morning  we  were  off  the  coast  of  Spain  watching 
the  silvery  gleam  from  the  ice-clad  peaks  of  the  Pyrenees — at 
least  those  of  us  who  were  not  engaged  in  the  more  disagree- 
able employment  of  discharging  their  debt  to  Father  Neptune, 
However,  by  the  time  the  ship  arrived  at  the  small  port  of 
Santander  the  passengers  were  mostly  recovering  from  the 
mat  de  mer  occasioned  by  the  rough  water  in  the  Bay  of  Bis- 
cay. While  leaving  this  tiny  land-locked  harbor,  one  of  the 
propeller  blades  touched  the  rocky  bottom  and  broke  short  off, 
but  she  continued  her  voyage  with  undiminished  speed,  and 
within  three  days  was  steaming  up  the  Tagus  to  Lisbon. 
Here  the  passengers  who  wished  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
opportunity,  had  a  few  hours  on  shore,  then  we  were  off  for 
the  long  diagonal  run  across  the  Atlantic,  unbroken  save  by  a 
call  at  one  of  the  Canaries. 

"  The  Lady  of  the  Lucitania^^''  as  she  was  called,  because 
there  was  no  other  lady  among  the  saloon  passengers,  was  the 

wife  of  Captain of  the   British   army,  who   was  going 

out  for  a  few  months'  hunting  on  the  pampas  of  Buenos  Ayres, 
and  of  course  accompanied  by  numerous  dogs,  with  an  assort- 
ment of  guns.  There  was  also  a  chaplain  in  the  British 
navy  who  was  going  out  to  join  his  ship  at  Valparaiso.  A 
strange  character  was  he  ;  being  a  big,  burly  man,  about  28 
years  of  age,  and  the  most  inveterate  champagne-drinker  on 
board,  and  that  is  saying  a  good  deal.  Whenever  he  met  any 
of  the  "  jolly  "  ones  of  the  saloon  passengers  it  was  "  Come, 
old  fellow,  will  you  toss  me  for  a  bottle  of  phizz  ?  "  as  he  called 
his  favorite  wine,  and  he  had  no  lack  of  accepters.  The 
majority  in  the  saloon  consisted  of  a  party  of  fifteen  young 
Englishmen,  civil  engineers,  who  were  going  under  the  leader- 
ship of  a  Swedish  colonel  to  survey,  for  the  Brazilian  govern- 
ment, a  railway  line  across  the  southern  part  of  Brazil,  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  In  all  there  were  twenty-five 
young  men,  full  of  frolic  and  fun,  who  made  matters  rather 


160 


CROSSING  THE  ''LINE.'* 


lively  about  the  afterpart  of  the  ship.  They  went  m  for 
every  thing  from  which  any  fun  could  be  extracted.  At  the 
equinoctial  line  they  roped  in  the  "  greenhorns,"  of  whom  I 
was  one,  to  look  through  the  field-glasses  at  the  line,  and 
having  fastened  a  hair  across  the  field  of  view,  of  course  we 
could  all  see  it  plainly.  Father  Neptune  came  on  board,  and 
those  of  the  crew  who  had  never  crossed  the  Equator  were 
hunted  out  of  their  hiding  places,  dragged  on  deck,  lathered 
with  a  whitewash  brush  dipped  in  old  grease,  shaved  with  a 
lath-razor,  and  then  tumbled  unceremoniously  backward  into 
a  cask  of  water. 


THE    "SUGAR-LOAF        IN    THE    BAY    OF    RIO. 

During  the  whole  voyage  I  laughed,  and  increased  in 
weight  twenty  pounds.  After  a  prosperous  voyage  of  three 
weeks  we  arrived  within  sight  of  the  famous  "  Sugar- 
Loaf,"   and   were    duly    disembarked    at   the    custom-house, 


A  SQUARE  FOOT  OF  MONEY.  \Q\ 

where  I  found  it  indispensable  to  use  a  little  "  palm-grease  " 
in  order  to  get  my  baggage  through  that  institution  without  a 
long  waiting.  The  evening  succeeding  our  arrival  a  banquet 
was  given  at  the  Hotel  d'Europe,  which  was  attended  by 
most  of  the  saloon  passengers,  including  "  The  Lady  of  the 
Lucitania.''^ 

The  next  morning  Munson  called  at  a  banking-house,  pre- 
sented his  false  letters  of  introduction,  and  was  well  received. 
He  immediately  commenced  business  —  showed  them  a  letter 
of  credit,  and  making  out  a  bill  of  exchange,  drawn  on  the 
London  and  Westminster  Bank,  he  sold  it  to  the  banker,  and 
drew  ten  thousand  pounds  in  the  currency  of  the  country, 
leaving  the  balance  on  deposit  as  the  nucleus  of  a  bank 
account.  I  had  been  waiting  outside,  and  saw  him  come  out 
with  the  currency  —  a  package  a  foot  square — under  his  arm. 
At  some  distance  from  the  bank  he  gave  me  the  package,  and 
I  took  it  at  once  to  an  exchange  office  and  purchased  English 
sovereigns  for  the  whole  amount  —  about  ^50,000.  On  the 
voyage,  Munson  and  myself  had  acted  as  strangers  to  each 
other,  and  now  we  stayed  at  different  hotels,  being  careful 
not  to  be  seen  together,  meeting  in  the  parks  or  other 
public  places,  though  in  isolated  parts  of  them.  Having 
bogus  letters  to  other  bankers  in  Rio,  this  first  easy  success 
satisfied  us  that  we  could  obtain  all  the  money  —  say  two  or 
three  hundred  thousand  dollars  —  that  we  should  think  it 
prudent  to  ask  for  in  that  city. 

After  the  lapse  of  two  days,  Munson  again  called  at  the 
same  bank  and  was  immediately  invited  into  the  manager's 
room  and  introduced  to  "  Mr.  Solomons,"  a  Hebrew,  who  proved 
to  be  one  of  the  leading  brokers  on  the  Rio  Exchange.  As 
before,  I  was  waiting  outside,  and  owing  to  the  long  time 
Munson  was  in  the  bank,  I  began  to  feel  uneasy,  and  sur- 
mised that  something  was  going  wrong.  At  last  he  made 
his  appearance,  and  I  saw  by  his  flushed  face  that  he  had 
been  under  a  strain.  Upon  reaching  a  suitable  place,  he 
related  to  me  the  particulars  of  the  interview.  The  danger 
11 


1Q2  3IUNS0N'S  STORY. 

we  were  in  no  doubt  tended  to  indelibly  impress  upon  my 
memory  Munson's  statement,  which  was  in  substance  as 
follows : 

"  The  manager,  after  introducing  me  to  Mr.  Solomons, 
said  that  a  short  time  previous  a  letter  had  been  received 
from  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank  which  stated  that 
from  that  date  all  letters  of  credit  issued  by  them  would  be 
signed  both  by  the  manager  and  sub-manager.  He  then  said 
that  the  letter  on  which  he  had  purchased  my  bill  of  exchange 
had  but  one  name.  The  Hebrew  broker  sat  all  this  time 
Avith  his  crafty  eyes  fixed  upon  me,  as  though  he  would 
read  me  through,  and  it  required  all  my  nerve  to  enable 
me  to  stand  the  situation  without  showing  signs  of  uneasi- 
ness. I  replied  that  really  I  could  not  say  how  the  omission 
occurred,  but  I  supposed  it  must  have  beefn  accidental,  and 
then  told  him  I  would  look  at  my  other  letters  and  see  if  they 
were  the  same.  Mr.  Solomons  said  it  was  a  very  singular 
circumstance  that  an  assistant  bank  manager  should  neglect 
to  sign  a  special  letter  of  credit,  still  he  must  have  done  so ; 
but  for  his  part  he  should  not  feel  justified  in  purchasing  bills 
on  such  letters.  After  some  further  conversation,  the  man- 
ager asked  me  if  I  had  letters  to  other  parties  in  Rio.  '•  Cer- 
tainly,'said  I;  'I  have  letters  to  the  English  Bank,  and  to 

Messrs. <t  Co.,  both  of  whom  have  doubtless  had  advices 

from  their  London  correspondents  regarding  me,  and  I  will 
ascertain  at  once  whether  I  am  to  have  the  object  of  my  long 
journey  hampered  by  the  neglect  or  oversight  of  the  sub- 
manager.'  I  then  came  away.  The  fact  is,  I  am  feeling 
very  shaky;  the  Hebrew  is  a  shrewd  old  codger,  and  the 
manager  refused  to  purchase  any  more  exchange  on  London 
on  the  pretext  that  he  had  all  he  could  use.  This  is  awful ! 
I  had  a  hot  time  of  it,  and  no  mistake  !  That  Solomons  is  as 
sharp  as  a  razor,  and  as  suspicious  as  a  boarding-house  mis- 
tress. I  think  he  is  assured  in  his  own  mind  that  something 
is  wrong.  I  am  afraid  it  is  all  up,  and  I  wish  we  were  well 
out  of  this  country." 


A  COUP  BE  GRACE  ATTEMPTED.  \Q2> 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  it,"  I  replied ;  "  and  at  this 
moment  they  are  doubtless  consulting  as  to  what  measures 
can  be  taken  to  secure  the  ten  thousand  pounds  paid  you 
until  they  can  get  advices  from  England.  The  cable  is  not 
yet  completed,  and  they  must  wait  the  slow  movement  of  the 
mail,  which  will  take  forty  days.  You  informed  him  that 
you  expected  to  remain  in  Brazil  three  months,  and  as  it  is 
known  that  no  one  can  get  out  of  the  country  without  getting 
his  passport  vised  at  police  headquarters,  they  will  not 
arrest  you  for  fear  that  after  all  it  may  be  only  a  mistake, 
unless  you  attempt  to  leave  Brazil.  A  bold  step  must  be 
taken.  Here  are  the  other  letters  of  credit;  take  this  pen 
and  write  in  the  sub-manager's  name." 

Although  Munson  was  a  skillful  penman,  he  had  never 
attempted  to  forge  names  himself,  Engles  having  performed 
that  delicate  operation  during  the  short  time  we  had  been  in 
such  business.  The  ordeal  through  which  Munson  had 
passed  had  made  him  nervous;  therefore,  though  not  a  drink- 
ing man,  I  procured  a  glass  of  brandy,  which  he  swallowed. 
In  a  few  moments  he  began  to  write  in  the  names,  though 
with  rather  a  shaky  hand.  When  finished,  I  compared  them 
with  the  genuine  signature  in  my  possession,  and  found  it 
very  shaky ;  but  we  were  in  for  it,  and  I  could  see  but  one 
way  out ;  therefore  I  selected  the  best,  handed  them  to  Mun- 
son, and  said : 

"  It  is  not  an  hour  since  you  left  the  bank.  Take  these 
letters  back  immediately,  and  show  the  manager  both  signa- 
tures, remarking  at  the  same  time  that  the  second  name  must 
have  been  unintentionally  omitted  from  the  one  on  which  you 
drew  the  ten  thousand  pounds.  He  cannot  fathom  that  you 
could  have  forged  the  sub-manager's  name  in  so  short  a  time. 
See  if  it  does  not  prove  a  '  poser.'  Though  it  may  not  wholly 
allay  suspicion,  it  will  give  me  time  to  make  and  execute  a 
plan  for  getting  you  out  of  the  country.  Of  that  I  am  cer- 
tain. Rely  on  me,  keep  cool,  and  above  all  keep  a  stiff  upper 
lip,  and  act  up  to  the  character  you  have  assumed.     Be  sure 


164 


TROUBLE    CLEARLY  AHEAD. 


to  offer  them  more  exchange  on  London,  as  I  wish  to  ascer- 
tain how  they  take  the  proposition ;  and  if  they  decline  to 
purchase,  say  that  you  will  have  to  transfer  your  account  to 
the  English  Bank  of  Rio." 

Starting  on  his  decisive  errand,  followed  by  me  as  before, 
he  was  not  long  in  the  bank,  but  reappeared  empty-handed, 
no  one  following  to  ''  shadow "  him.  Upon  meeting  at  the 
designated  place,  Munson  informed  me  that  the  manager  was 
evidently  agreeably  surprised  when  he  was  shown  the  letters 
with  both  signatures ;  nevertheless,  he  had  refused  to  pur- 
chase any  more  exchange,  but  had  transferred  the  endorse- 
ment from  the  letter  that  had  but  one  signature  to  one  with 
both.  All  this  convinced  me  that  his  suspicion  was  fully 
aroused.  It  was  therefore  clear  that  our  safety  depended 
upon  the  invention  of  a  plan  by  which  I  could  get  Munson 
out  of  Brazil,  and  at  the  same  time  convince  the  bank  man- 
ager that  he  intended  to  remain.  It  must  be  a  plan  which 
would  throw  oft'  any  one  attempting  to  watch  his  movements, 
and  make  it  appear  that  he  was  still  in  the  country  until  the 
steamer  in  which  he  sailed  should  have  been  at  least  twenty- 
four  hours  at  sea. 

This  plan,  and  how  it  was  successfully  executed,  will  be 
detailed  in  the  following  chapter. 


Chapter  XVI. 


TECHNICALITIES  OF  BRAZILIAN  LAW  —  IN  A  TIGHT  SPOT  —  I  RESOLVE  ON  A  BOLD 
COUP —  EFFICACY  OF  A  SUITABLE  "  DOUCEUR  "  —  A  "  DOCTORED  "  PASSPORT  — 
A  DETECTIVE  ON  TRAIL,  WHO  INGRATIATES  HIMSELF  INTO  MUNSON'S  CON- 
FIDENCE—  MANEUVERS  —  THE  DETECTIVE  ON  A  "WILD  GOOSE  CHASE"  — 
SAFELY  ON  BOARD  —  A  DISTINGUISHED  PARTY  IN  A  ROWBOAT  —  A  STERN  CHASE 
—  OFF  AT  LAST. 


^ 


THETHER  the  law  remains  the  same  as  it  was  in  1872, 
I  am  unable  to  state ;  but  at  that  time  every  person 
desiring  to  leave  Brazil  must  be  provided  with  a  passport  — 
if  a  foreigner,  one  from  his  own  government  —  if  a  native, 
one  from  the  Brazilian.  When  ready  to  start,  he  must  take 
his  passport  to  police  headquarters  and  have  it  vised,  then 
leave  it  with  the  ticket-agent  where  he  buys  his  ticket.  This 
agent,  after  ascertaining  from  the  chief  of  police  that  the 
intending  passenger  is  not  "  wanted "  by  the  authorities, 
transmits  the  passport  to  the  purser  of  the  steamer,  who,  in 
turn,  hands  it  to  the  owner  after  the  ship  is  at  sea.  It  will 
be  seen  that  these  regulations  render  it  very  difficult  for  any 
suspected  person  to  leave  Brazil  by  the  regular  channels  of 
communication  ;  and  if  difficult  for  a  native,  how  much  more 
so  for  a  stranger,  ignorant  of  the  country  and  its  language, 
the  Portuguese.  French,  Italian,  or  German,  did  well  enough 
in  the  large  towns,  but  the  moment,  a  fugitive  who  did  not 
understand  their  language  got  into  the  country,  he  would 
stand  a  poor  chance  of  getting  far  away  from  Rio.  There- 
fore, I  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  project  of  going  south  to 
Buenos  Ayres  —  a  journey  by  land  of  fifteen  hundred  miles 
—  or  of  crossing  the  continent  to  the  Pacific  by  way  of  the 
Amazon.     At  last  I  determined  on  a  bold  coup  to  get  Munson 

(165) 


1QQ  THE    ''LJVINGSTONIA.'' 

away  on  a  steamer  which  was  to  leave  on  a  certain  day. 
Accordingly,  I  had  an  American  (U.  S.)  passport  filled  in 
with  the  name  Gilmore,  by  which  I  was  known  during  the 
voyage  from  England,  by  the  agent  of  the  steamship  line, 
and  others  in  Rio.  This  I  took  to  the  police  headquarters, 
and  finding  the  anteroom  crowded  with  people,  I  supposed  I 
should  be  obliged  to  wait  my  turn ;  but  presently  the  inter- 
preter came  along,  and,  presumably,  judging  by  my  appear- 
ance that  time  was  more  valuable  to  me  than  a  little  money, 
he  whispered  in  French :  "  If  you  are  in  a  hurry,  you  will 
save  time  by  sending  in  a  small  '  douceur '  to  the  chief,  or 
you  may  have  to  wait  all  day."  I  took  the  hint  and  slipped 
into  his  ready  palm  a  few  reys,  with  which  he  disappeared 
into  the  inner  room.  In  a  short  time  I  was  ushered  in  and 
my  passport  vised  without  my  being  troubled  with  an  interro- 
gation. Proceeding  to  the  ticket-agent  I  delivered  up  the 
passport,  receiving  and  paying  for  a  saloon  passage  to  Liver- 
pool. He  recognized  me  as  one  of  the  party  who  had  arrived 
a  few  days  previously  by  the  Lucitania^  and  expressed  some 
surprise  at  my  early  return,  it  being  the  best  part  of  the  year 
for  a  sojourn  in  the  tropics.  I  explained  that  having  com- 
pleted my  business,  I  was  in  a  hurry  to  get  back  to  my  own 
country.  My  next  move  was  to  walk  along  the  water-front 
and  find  where  row-boats  with  oarsmen  were  to  be  let.  As 
these  were  to  be  had  at  several  points,  I  selected  the  most 
obscure  one  toward  the  northern  boundary  of  the  city.  Here 
I  found  a  boat,  and  was  rowed  out  to  the  steamship  Living- 
stonia.  I  went  on  board  and  found  the  purser,  to  whom  I 
showed  my  ticket,  and  asked  him  to  assign  me  a  state-room 
by  myself.  Having  paid-  him  the  extra  price  required  for  the 
privilege  of  being  the  sole  occupant,  I  received  the  key,  took 
a  good  look  around,  that  I  might  find  the  room  again  without 
the  necessity  of  making  inquiries,  and  left  for  the  city,  after 
informing  the  purser  that  I  should  remain  on  shore  until  the 
hour  for  sailing  the  next  day.  Upon  meeting  Munson  I 
requested  him  to  call  at  the  bank  and  casually  inform  the 


"SHADOWED:'  167 

manager  that  he  should  start  the  next  morning  for  S.  Romao, 
a  town  in  the  interior  of  Brazil,  to  be  absent  a  week.  He  was 
then  to  go  to  the  Hotel  d' Europe,  pay  his  bill,  at  the  same 
time  stating  that  he  was  to  leave  Rio  by  the  four  o'clock  train 
the  next  morning.  As  Munson  had  two  trunks,  and  other 
impedimenta  befitting  a  man  of  his  pretensions,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  take  a  carriage  to  the  station,  which  was  nearly  a 
mile  distant.  It  would  be  unsafe  to  go  in  a  carriage  belong- 
ing to  the  hotel ;  therefore,  he  was  to  say  that  a  friend  would 
call  for  him.  As  it  was  still  two  hours  to  sunset,  I  suggested 
that  after  he  had  arranged  matters,  he  should  saunter  out, 
walk  about  the  streets  until  dark,  then  return  to  the  hotel 
and  be  ready  when  I  should  call  for  him  at  three  o'clock  the 
next  mornins^. 

After  these  arrangements  we  separated,  I  following  to 
ascertain  if  he  was  being  watched  or  shadowed  by  detectives. 
When  he  entered  the  hotel  I  remained  within  view  of  the 
entrance.  It  was  not  long  before  he  reappeared  and  walked 
leisurely  along  the  street,  with  gold-headed  cane,  and  real 
diamonds  flashing  in  the  tropical  sunlight.  A  few  seconds 
later  I  saw  another  man  come  out,  cross  the  street,  and  go 
in  the  same  direction.  I  followed  him,  and  was  soon  satisfied 
that  he  was  keeping  Munson  in  view.  This  sort  of  double 
hunt  was  kept  up  until  dusk,  when  Munson  returned  to  his 
hotel,  unconscious  that  a  moment  later  his  "  shadow  "  entered 
the  place.  Here  was  a  "  stunner  "  and  no  mistake,  though 
it  was  no  more  than  I  had  anticipated  as  among  the  possibil- 
ities ;  still,  I  had  indulged  in  the  hope  that  the  bank  would 
rely  entirely  on  the  passport  system,  and  take  no  further 
steps  for  a  day  or  two,  which  was  all  the  time  required  to 
carry  out  my  plan.  Though  Munson  had  good  nerve,  it  was 
already  somewhat  shaken,  and  surely  the  situation  would 
have  unnerved  most  men.  Therefore,  fearing  that  the  cer- 
tain knowledge  of  imminent  danger  might  still  further 
confuse  him  and  cause  some  false  move,  I  determined 
to  keep  my  discovery  to  myself.     Leaving  Munson  and  his 


153  A  DETECTIVE'S  ''GALL." 

"  shadow  "  to  their  own  devices  at  the  hotel,  I  next  proceeded 
to  an  obscure  part  of  the  town,  and  stopping  at  a  small  but 
respectable  looking  tavern,  I  engaged  a  room  for  the  next 
day.  I  also  engaged  a  carriage,  with  an  English-speaking 
driver,  to  be  in  readiness  at  three  o'clock  the  next  morning 
—  then  returned  to  my  own  hotel  for  a  few  hours'  sleep. 
Promptly  at  the  hour  I  was  at  the  livery  stable,  where  I 
found  the  carriage  ready,  and  was  driven  to  the  Hotel 
d'Europe.  Sending  the  driver  up  to  the  office  on  the  second 
floor,  Munson  soon  appeared  and  informed  me  that  he  had 
promised  to  take  to  the  station  a  man  who  was  stopping  at 
the  hotel.  "  He  is  going  to  S.  Romao  by  the  same  train," 
continued  Munson,  "  and  seems  a  good  fellow,  for  I  had  a  long 
talk  with  him  last  night."  Upon  seeing  signs  of  disapproval 
in  my  face,  he  explained :  "  Well,  you  know,  he  said  he  could 
not  get  a  carriage  at  so  early  an  hour  in  the  morning,  and  I 
thought  it  could  do  no  harm  to  take  him  in,  and  he  is  waiting 
up  stairs." 

It  would  be  diffcult  for  the  reader  to  imagine  the  effect  of 
this  surprising  communication  upon  my  mind,  for  it  was  clear 
enough  that  this  was  the  very  person  who  had  been  "  shadow- 
ing "  Munson  the  day  before,  and  had  skillfully  ingratiated 
himself  into  his  new  friend's  confidence.  I  could  but  admire 
his  unwonted  "  cheek  "  in  asking  a  contemplated  victim  for  a 
ride  to  the  station.  I  said  to  Munson  :  ''  AVhat  in  the  world  can 
you  be  thinking  of?  Don't  you  see  you  are  blocking  our 
whole  plan  ?  Go  up  and  tell  him  your  carriage  is  loaded 
down  with  luggage,  and  express  your  regrets  that  you  can- 
not accommodate  him." 

This  Munson  was  obliged  to  do,  though  with  repugnance, 
it  being  against  his  nature  to  do  anything  that  looked  "  mean." 
During  this  time  the  baggage  was  being  placed  in  the  carriage, 
and  as  soon  as  Munson  had  dismissed  his  "  passenger,"  who 
for  some  reason,  did  not  show  himself  to  me,  we  started  rap- 
idly for  the  station.  On  the  way  I  requested  him  to  avoid 
making  any  new  friends  until  he  should  find  himself  well  out 


CUTTING  AN  ACQUAINTANCE.  ^gg 

at  sea.  Said  I,  ''  It  might  be  fatal  to  attract  the  attention 
of  any  one,  or  to  let  any  one  see  you  leave  the  train.  Of 
course  this  new  acquaintance  of  yours  is  only  a  countryman, 
but  it  is  not  possible  to  foresee  what  disaster  the  least  mis- 
take or  want  of  caution  might  originate.  Now  listen :  if  you 
will  be  guided  entirely  by  me,  you  will  be  safe  on  the  broad 
Atlantic  to-night.  You  know,"  I  continued,  "  that  these  cars 
are  on  the  English  system,  divided  into  compartments.  You 
must  go  into  the  station,  stand  near  the  ticket-office  until 
your  new  acquaintance  comes  ;  then  observe  if  he  buys  a  first- 
class  ;  if  so,  you  take  a  second,  and  vice  versa.  Pay  no  atten- 
tion to  him,  and  let  him  see  you  get  into  your  compartment, 
but  keep  an  eye  on  his  movements.  In  case  he  comes  to  get 
in  where  you  are,  despite  the  different  class  of  the  tickets,  tell 
him  the  compartment  is  engaged.  Everything  depends  on  how 
you  carry  yourself  through  the  next  twenty  minutes.  A  sin- 
gle false  step,  a  word  too  little  or  too  much,  will  surely  prove 
fatal  to  us  both  ! " 

In  accordance  with  our  pre-arranged  plan,  I  stopped  the 
carriage  opposite  the  station,  it  being  still  dark.  Munson 
alighted,  went  straight  inside,  and  in  a  few  minutes  saw  his 
"  passenger "  come  puffing  in,  nearly  out  of  breath.  Un- 
questionably supposing  Munson's  baggage  to  be  already  on 
board  the  train,  he  purchased  a  ticket,  and  after  seeing  his 
intended  victim  enter  a  compartment,  got  into  another  himself 
just  as  the  train  began  to  move.  This  was  the  vital  moment 
for  which  Munson  had  been  waiting,  and  having  previously 
unlocked  with  his  master  car-key  the  door  opposite,  he 
stepped  off  on  that  side,  hastily  crossed  to  the  other  platform 
of  the  dimly-lighted  station,  and  made  his  way  unnoticed  into 
the  street.  While  this  was  passing  I  sat  in  the  carriage,  and 
it  was  not  many  minutes  before  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  see- 
ing Munson  coming  back  to  me.  For  the  benefit  of  the  driver 
we  then  had  a  dialogue  somewhat  as  follows  : 

"  It  is  too  bad !  Our  friends  have  not  arrived  ;  what  shall 
we  do  ?" 


170  THE  BAGGAGE  ABOARD. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  we  must  go  back  to  the  hotel  and  wait 
for  the  afternoon  train,"  I  answered. 

"  But  I  have  paid  my  bill  there,"  said  Munson,  "  and  do 
not  care  to  go  back." 

"  Then,"  I  replied,  ''  meet  me  at  the  station,  and  I  will  look 
after  the  luGro-ao-e." 

In  case  they  recovered  the  trail,  the  information  obtained 
from  the  drivei*  Avould  cause  confusion  and  delay  sufficient,  1 
hoped,  to  enable  me  to  get  Munson  out  of  Rio. 

I  then  told  the  coachman  to  drive  into  the  city.  It  was 
not  yet  daylight,  but  after  a  while  I  saw  a  sort  of  eating-house 
and  tavern  combined,  and  had  the  carriage  halted  there. 
Alighting,  I  entered,  and  said  to  the  person  in  charge  that  I 
did  not  wish  to  disturb  my  friends  at  so  early  an  hour,  and 
would  pay  him  for  taking  care  of  my  baggage,  as  I  wished  to 
discharge  the  carriage.  This  offer  was  of  course  accepted, 
the  baggage  housed,  and  the  carriage  dismissed.  In  the 
meantime  Munson  was  waiting  for  me  in  an  appointed  place 
not  far  away,  where  I  joined  him,  and  we  went  to  the  obscure 
tavern  where  the  room  had  been  engaged. 

So  far  my  plan  had  been  successful.  Munson  was  hidden 
safely  away  before  dawn,  while  at  the  same  moment  his  very 
clever  new  friend  was  some  miles  distant  on  a  "  wild  goose 
chase "  into  the  interior.  Arriving  back  at  my  hotel  soon 
after  daylight,  I  took  a  leisurely  breakfast,  after  which  I  sal- 
lied out  and  engaged  two  stalwart  slave  porters,  whom  I 
found,  according  to  the  custom  of  their  class  in  Brazil,  busily 
occupied  in  plaiting  straw  for  hats  while  waiting  for  a  job. 
Motioning  them  to  follow  me,  I  led  the  way  to  where  Mun- 
son's  basroraire  was  stored.  Dividino:  it  between  the  two,  we 
proceeded  to  the  place  I  had  selected  as  the  safest  to  get  off 
to  the  steamer  without  attracting  notice,  and  had  it  put  into  a 
boat.  Paying  the  porters,  I  followed  and  was  rowed  off  to 
the  steamer.  The  baggage  was  hoisted  on  deck,  the  trunks 
deposited  in  the  hold,  and  the  smaller  articles  carried  into  my 
state-room ;  after  which  I  went  ashore  to  await  the  hour  of 


A  ''GOLDEN''  STATE  BOOM.  I'JI 

the  decisive  movement  for  which  1  had  made  such  elaborate 
preparations.  There  was  no  train  by  which  the  detective 
could  return  to  Rio  until  late  in  the  afternoon  ;  and  I  felt 
certain  that  when  he  should  ascertain  that  Munson  was  not 
upon  the  train,  he  would  be  confident  that  his  intended  victim 
had  slipped  off  at  a  way  station  in  order  to  make  his  escape 
into  the  interior.  Under  this  impression  he  would  naturally 
make  inquiries  at  the  likely  stations,  and  even  if  he  sent  a  dis- 
patch to  the  bank,  it  would  doubtless  be  to  the  effect  that 
his  quarry  had  left  Rio  on  the  early  train  that  morning  with 
himself. 

The  baggage  had  taken  up  my  time  until  ten  a.m.,  and 
returning  to  my  hotel,  I  packed  into  a  knapsack  as  many 
bags  of  gold  (about  .£8,000)  as  I  could  conveniently  carry, 
called  a  carriage,  and  was  driven  to  where  Munson  had  been 
waiting  in  great  anxiety  for  several  hours.  Taking  him  in, 
we  were  not  long  in  reaching  the  place  of  embarkation,  and 
were  rowed  about  five  miles  up  the  harbor,  where  the  steamer 
had  gone  to  take  in  coal.  Amid  the  usual  confusion  attend- 
ing the  departure  of  an  ocean  steamer,  we  got  on  board 
unnoticed,  and  went  direct  to  the  state-room.  By  the  time 
we  were  in  it  the  gold  had  become  excessively  heavy,  and  I 
was  glad  enough  to  stow^  it  away  in  one  of  the  berths.  We 
had  not  been  long  in  the  state-room  before  vre  heard  the  wel- 
come sound  of  the  bell,  warning  all  who  were  not  about  to 
make  the  voyage  to  leave  the  steamer.  I  parted  from  Mun- 
son, recommending  him  to  remain  in  his  state-room  until  the 
ship  should  be  well  out  into  the  Atlantic.  Getting  into  the 
boat  again,  I  was  rowed  away  a  short  distance,  then  had  the 
oarsman  rest  on  his  oars,  and  soon  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
the  Livingstonia  glide  past  with  her  prow  pointed  toward  the 
"  Sugar-Loaf."  Now,  for  the  first  time,  I  breathed  freely,  and 
felt  a  great  weight  of  responsibility  roll  from  my  shoulders. 
"  Munson  is  safe,  and  the  danger  is  over,"  said  I  to  myself, 
joyfully.  Ordering  the  boatman  to  row  ashore,  he  turned  in 
that  direction,  and  then  I  saw  a  boat  coming  toward  the 


172 


TOO  LATE. 


steamer,  with  every  oar  strained  to  the  utmost  —  but  no  atten- 
tion Avas  paid  to  it.  The  occupants  soon  gave  up  the  chase, 
and  through  my  field-glass  I  recognized  the  manager  of  the 
bank  and  the  Hebrew  broker,  Mr.  Solomons,  both  of  whom 
had  been  pointed  out  to  me.  They  had  probably  just  received 
a  dispatch  from  the  detective  who  had  been  so  cleverly  out- 
witted and  left  to  journey  alone,  but  having  no  time  to  pro- 
cure an  order  to  delay  the  ship,  had  hurried  off,  hoping  to  get 
on  board,  confident  that  the  captain  would  grant  every  facility 
for  a  search,  and,  in  case  of  success,  assist  them  to  get  Munson 
on  shore  again.  Had  they  succeeded,  I  should  have  been 
involved,  and  probably  learned  the  lesson  on  the  island  of 
Fernando  da  Noronha  that  I  did  later  in  England. 


Chapter  XVII. 


IDLE  DATS  AT  RIO  —  IMPERIAL  HONORS  —  VISIT  TO  A  COFFEE  PLANTATION  — 
SLAVES  —  A  TRIP  TO  THE  LA  PLATA — TEN  DATS'  QUARANTINE  ON  THE  ISLAND 
DE  FLORES  —  MONTEVIDEO  AND  BLTINOS  ATRES  —  THE  "  LA  FRANCE"  —  OUT 
IN   A  PAMPERO  —  RETURN   TO  ENGLAND. 

DURING  my  stay  in  Rio  Janeiro  I  received  from  the 
Swedish  Colonel,  before  alluded  to,  an  invitation  to  be 
present  at  a  special  presentation  of  "  Ernani "  at  the  grand 
opera-house  in  honor  of  the  Imperial  family,  in  accordance 
with  which  I  became  one  of  the  favored  audience.  This  was 
very  small,  and  appeared  to  be  composed  of  the  creme  de  la 
creme  of  Brazilian  society,  the  Imperial  box  being  occupied 
by  the  Emperor  Dom  Pedro,  the  Empress,  their  daughter 
and  son-in-law,  the  latter  having  made  his  name  famous  in 
Brazilian  history  by  his  gallant  conduct  during  the  late  war 
between  the  gigantic  Empire  of  Brazil  and  the  liliputian 
State  of  Paraguay.  At  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  in  Rio  I 
noticed  a  large  painting  representing  him  seated  on  a  fiery 
war-horse  plunging  about  amid  shot  and  shell,  the  princely 
rider,  with  sword  waving  on  high,  guiding  the  storm  of  battle. 
The  Imperial  family  formed  a  marked  contrast  with  the 
remainder  of  the  audience,  being  plainly  dressed  and  making 
no  show  of  diamonds  or  other  jewels. 

Now  that  Munson  was  safely  on  the  broad  Atlantic,  with 
the  bulk  of  the  gold  in  his  possession,  I  felt  at  ease,  though 
there  was  still  a  chance  that  when  it  became  certain  that  he 
had  made  his  escape  out  of  the  country,  I  might  be  regarded 
with  suspicion  and  detained.  But  as  I  had  been  extremely 
careful  not  to  be  seen  in  his  company,  I  felt  no  great  anxiety 
on  that  point. 

(173) 


174  ^   GIGANTIC  SCHEME. 

The  great  mistake  of  that  period  of  my  life  was  that  I  did 
not  abandon  every  other  plan  and  go  at  once  to  Chicago  to 
establish  a  legitimate  business,  in  accordance  with  my  original 
intentions. 

After  securing  all  the  cash  we  safely  could  at  Eio,  Munson 
taking  the  leading  part,  we  had  intended  to  go  down  the  coast 
to  Montevideo  and  Buenos  Ayres,  and  repeat  the  operation,  I 
doing  the  leading  business  in  those  cities.  Going  thence  by 
steamer  via  the  Strait  of  Magellan  to  Valparaiso,  we  were  to 
continue  northward,  stopping  at  the  large  sea-ports  along  the 
Pacific  Coast  as  far  as  San  Francisco,  from  which  place  we 
intended  to  reach  New  York  by  the  trans-continental  railway, 
with  at  least  a  million  dollars  in  our  possession. 

It  will  be  seen  that  this  was  a  gigantic  and  well-devised 
scheme,  which  might  easily  have  proven  a  complete  success  — 
my  experience  having  led  me  to  believe  that  such  expectations 
were  by  no  means  unreasonable  —  had  not  Engles's  obstinac}^ 
thus  frustrated  our  plan.  In  yielding  to  him  the  point  that 
came  up  in  London,  as  to  whether  both  the  manager's  and 
sub-manager's  names  should  appear  on  the  forged  letters  of 
credit,  I  acquiesced  in  a  step  which  virtually  defeated  the 
whole  scheme,  and  changed  an  easy  money-making  affair  into 
what  just  missed  turning  out  a  tragedy. 

After  due  consideration,  I  could  see  no  way  of  getting  out 
of  Brazil  otherwise  than  by  a  voyage  to  the  Rio  de  la  Plata 
(river  of  silver),  it  being  supposed  that  I  had  sailed  for 
Europe  on  board  the  last  European  steamer ;  in  conse- 
quence I  had  to  keep  myself  secluded  as  much  as  possible, 
to  avoid  running  against  the  Pacific  Mail  Line  agent  and 
others. 

As  it  would  be  some  days  before  I  could  obtain  passage 
southward,  I  passed  the  intervening  time  in  making  excur- 
sions and  sight-seeing,  Rio  and  vicinity  being  a  good  place 
for  both.  I  need  not  weary  the  reader  with  an  extended 
description  of  the  beautiful  bay  of  Rio,  closed  in  on  all  sides 
by  mountains  which  rise  almost  from  its  shores,  with  the 


ATTRACTIONS  AT  RIO. 


175 


unique  Sugar-Loaf,  900  feet  high,  like  a  huge  sentinel  guard- 
ing the  entrance  to  a  harbor  which  vies  with  the  far-famed 


SCENE    NEAR   RIO   JANEIRO. 


bay  of  Naples  in  the  natural  beauty  and  grandeur  of  its  situa- 
tion and  surroundings. 

The   approach   from   the   sea   is  very  attractive.      First 


176  ^^C  URSIONS. 

appear  distant  peaks,  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the 
clouds.  Approaching,  the  outlines  become  more  distinct, 
and  other  mountains  become  dimly  visible  in  the  distance, 
while  the  hills  and  slopes  are  covered  with  luxuriant  tropical 
vegetation.  Until  the  steamer  nears  the  land,  it  appears  as 
if  she  is  about  running  agamst  a  solid  wall;  but  when  quite 
near,  the  cleft  through  the  mountains  opens  up,  and  as  she 
enters  this,  a  part  of  the  city  appears  in  the  distance.  On 
the  north  side,  opposite  the  Sugar-Loaf,  is  the  fort  of  Santa 
Cruz,  on  which  is  a  lighthouse ;  other  fortifications  guard  the 
harbor,  and  no  obstruction  prevents  ships  from  entering  it  in 
safety  day  or  night.  The  water  in  this  land-locked  harbor  is 
deep  enough  and  its  area  sufficient  to  accommodate  all  the 
navies  of  the  ^^'<orld. 

The  Sugar-Loaf  seemed  so  near  the  city  that  I  thought  it 
would  be  a  good  day's  sport  to  climb  to  the  summit,  and 
accordingly  hired  a  boat  with  two  oarsmen  to  row  me  down 
to  its  foot.  After  a  long  row,  to  my  surprise  it  appeared  as 
far  away  as  ever ;  and  as  I  could  not  understand  the  jabbering 
of  the  boatmen,  I  reluctantly  gave  the  signal  to  return.  A 
visit  to  the  Horticultural  Gardens,  with  their  rows  of  gigantic 
palm-trees,  and  every  variety  of  tropical  flowers  and  plants, 
was  exceedingly  enjoyable ;  but  nothing  could  be  finer  than 
a  drive  along  the  sides  of  the  mountains  behind  the  city,  not 
more  than  a  half-hour's  ride  from  its  center.  Here  were 
located  the  villas  of  merchants  and  bankers,  almost  hidden 
by  the  foliage  of  shrubs  and  trees,  and  commanding  a  view  of 
both  city  and  harbor. 

One  day,  with  an  acquaintance,  I  took  the  early  train  on 
the  same  line  where  the  detective  was  perhaps  still  looking 
for  Munson,  and  alighted  at  a  small  hamlet  on  the  border  of 
a  stream,  about  thirty  miles  from  Rio,  beyond  the  mountains. 
Calling  at  the  only  store,  we  found  no  one  able  to  speak 
either  French,  Spanish,  Italian,  or  German.  Happening  to 
look  across  the  street,  we  saw  a  sign  reading,  "  Schroeder, 
Painter."  We  hurried  over,  and  entering,  received  in  answer 
to  my  "  Sprecken  sie  Deutsche  ?  "  a  '^  Ja,  mein  herr." 


COFFEE.  177 

With  the  painter's  aid,  as  interpreter,  we  were  soon 
mounted  on  horse  and  mule  respectively,  I  taking  the  latter. 
My  companion  intended  to  be  considerably  amused  at  my 
efforts  to  make  the  mule  keep  up  with  him ;  but  he  counted, 
on  that  occasion,  without  a  proper  knowledge  of  the  charac- 
ter of  that  particular  mule,  which  proved  the  better  horse  of 
the  two. 

We  rode  for  some  miles  through  a  country  covered  with 
mound-like  hills,  no  sooner  coming  to  the  bottom  of  one  than 
we  were  ascending  another.  These  hills  were  covered  with 
coffee  bushes,  filled  with  red  fruit  about  the  size  of  cherries, 
each  containing  two  kernels.  The  coffee  was  being  picked 
into  large  flat  baskets  by  slaves,  which  when  filled  they  carried 
away  on  their  heads  to  the  drying  ground.  The  roads  were 
bordered  with  orange  trees  loaded  with  luscious  fruit,  to  which 
we  helped  ourselves.  After  a  time  we  turned  into  a  bridle- 
path, and  rode  three  or  four  miles  through  a  dense  forest. 
We  emerged  upon  the  outskirts  of  a  coffee  plantation,  where 
the  slaves  were  just  on  their  way  to  dinner ;  and  another  half- 
mile  brought  us  to  the  planter's  residence.  Thirty  or  forty 
slaves  of  both  sexes  and  all  ages  were  grouped  upon  the 
grass,  engaged  in  eating  a  black  looking  stew  out  of  metal 
dishes,  their  fingers  serving  for  knives,  forks,  and  spoons. 
Seeing  two  horsemen  ride  out  of  the  forest,  they  stared  in 
stupid  wonder,  until  one,  more  intelligent  than  the  others, 
went  in  search  of  the  overseer.  Presently  a  white  m.an 
appeared,  and  to  our  question :  "  Parlez  vous  Francais  ? " 
shook  his  head.  "Sprecken  sie  Deutsche?"  another  shake, 
and  the  same  to  "  Habla  Espagnole  ? "  but,  on  hearing,  "  Par- 
late  Italiano  ? "  came  the  smiling  answer,  "  Si,  signor."  He 
proved  to  be  an  Italian  overseer,  in  charge  of  this  plantation 
owned  by  a  merchant  in  the  city,  who  seldom  visited  the  prop- 
erty. The  overseer  showed  us  over  the  place  and  explained 
all  the  processes  of  preparing  the  coffee  for  market. 

In  one  corner  of  a  large,  unpainted  wooden  building  was 
what  he  called  the  infirmary,  and  a  comfortless  looking  place 
12 


178  ^^  IRKSOME  DELAY. 

it  was.  He  said  there  was  no  doctor  employed  and  that  he 
dealt  out  medicine  to  the  slaves  himself.  After  being  served 
with  coffee,  we  departed  and  returned  to  Rio  by  the  evening 
train. 

As  the  south-bound  steamer  was  due  the  next  day,  the 
question  which  occupied  my  mind  was  :  "  How  am  J  to  get  out 
of  Brazil  ?  "  Munson  had  left  me  his  passport,  from  which  I 
erased  his  name  and  description,  and  put  in  my  own.  The 
next  morning  I  hired  a  person  to  take  my  passport  to  police 
headquarters,  grease  the  official  palm,  and  have  it  vis^d, 
although  the  chief  was  by  law  obliged  to  compare  each  pass- 
port with  its  holder.  He  soon  returned  with  the  document 
in  proper  shape,  and  I  then  purchased  a  ticket,  leaving  the 
passport  with  the  agent.  I  embarked  without  trouble,  and  in 
four  days  was  laying  off  Montevideo,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rio 
La  Plata,  waiting  for  the  health-officer.  At  that  time  there 
was  no  telegraph  cable,  and  everything  went  slow  along  the 
coast  of  South  America. 

After  keeping  the  steamer  waiting  for  some  hours  the 
health-officer  condescended  to  come  aboard,  and  although  there 
had  not  been  a  single  case  of  sickness,  to  declare  us  in  quar- 
antine. Accordingly,  after  discharging  the  river  freight,  she 
ran  out  to  sea  thirty  or  forty  miles  to  the  Isle  de  Flores 
(flower  island),  on  which  the  passengers  were  landed  and  kept 
there  ten  days,  paying  three  dollars  per  day  for  board.  At 
the  expiration  of  this  tiresome  period  we  were  taken  on  board 
a  small  steamer  and  landed  at  Montevideo. 

In  that  beautifully  situated  city  of  revolutions,  the  win- 
dows are  barred  like  those  of  a  prison,  and  the  walls  beveled 
so  as  to  enable  the  inmates  to  shoot  up  and  down  the  streets. 

Taking  the  night  steamer,  I  was  landed  at  Buenos  Ayres 
(good  air)  the  next  morning.  At  that  time  the  place  was  a 
mongrel  between  the  oriental,  tropical,  and  a  brand-new  west- 
ern town.  After  a  few  days  I  determined  to  return  to  Europe. 
Therefore,  my  proper  name  being  in  my  passport,  I  purchased 
a  ticket  for  a  passage  by  the  steamer  La  France  to  Marseilles. 


PARIS  AGAIN.  ;[-9 

Running  up  the  coast  of  South  America  we  were  in  a  pam- 
pero (hurricane)  for  twenty-four  hours ;  and  although  the  La 
France  was  one  of  the  largest  steamers  then  afloat,  the  waves 
dashed  away  over  her  smokestack  and  tossed  her  about  like 
an  empty  cask. 

The  La  France  ran  into  the  harbor  of  Rio  Janeiro  and  lay 
off  the  city  for  several  hours.  When  she  came  to  anchor  a 
sidewheel  steamer  of  the  line  which  ran  from  Rio  to  New 
York  was  at  the  point  of  leaving.  I  hailed  a  boat  and  was 
rowed  off  to  her  to  ascertain  if  I  could  secure  passage  to 
New  York.  When  my  boat  reached  the  side  of  the  New 
York  steamer,  I  was  informed  that  nearly  all  passenger 
accommodations  had  been  secured  for  the  Brazilian  Prince 
Imperial,  and  that  I  could  not  be  permitted  to  come  on  board. 

What  slight  circumstances  may  change  the  destiny  of 
men  for  better  or  for  worse, —  for  a  life  of  poverty  and 
wretchedness  or  prosperity  and  happiness, —  for  a  long  life  or 
a  premature  death !  Had  I  been  able  to  proceed  direct  to 
New  York,  and  from  thence  to  Chicago,  to  carry  out  my  long- 
deferred  plan,  my  whole  destiny  would  have  been  changed ; 
for  the  possibility  of  perpetrating  the  frauds  on  the  Bank 
of  England  was  then  among  things  unknown,  and  afterwards 
discovered  only  by  accident. 

Among  my  baggage  I  always  carried  a  galvanic  battery, 
and  as  there  were  several  hundred  Spanish,  Portuguese,  and 
Italians  in  the  steerage  —  none  of  whom  had  any  experience 
with  electricity,  as  developed  by  human  agency  —  we  had  no 
end  of  sport  by  tempting  them  to  take  a  silver  coin  out  of 
a  bucket  of  electrized  water,  and  by  playing  many  games  to 
give  them  unexpected  shocks.  These  people  were  ignorant 
and  superstitious  and  soon  came  to  believe  that  we  were  in 
league  with  the  devil. 

In  due  time  I  landed  at  Marseilles,  took  the  train  for  Paris 
via  Lyons,  and  arrived  in  Paris  where  I  joined  Munson. 
In  the  next  chapter  will  be  detailed  the  series  of  operations 
which  led  to  the  disastrous  affair  with  the  Bank  of  England. 


Chapter  XVIII. 


I  MEET  MUNSON  IN  PARIS  —  HIS  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  VOYAGE  FROM  RIO  —  A  PLEAS- 
URE TRIP  TO  VIENNA  —  ORPHEUS  AND  EURYDICE  —  AN  ELECTRIC  PHENOMENA  — 
I  AIR  MY  GERMAN  —  RETURN  TO  LONDON  —  INCIDENTS  OF  TRAVEL  IN  GERMANY. 

AFTER  my  return  to  Paris  I  met  Munson,  who  related 
to  me  the  incidents  of  the  Yovao-e  from  Rio  Janeiro, 
and  subsequent  events.  The  following  is  an  epitome  of  his 
stor}^ : 

"  For  some  little  time  after  you  left  me  on  board  the 
Livingstonia^  I  remained  perfectly  quiet  in  the  state-room, 
until  I  heard  the  screw  begin  to  revolve  and  I  felt  satisfied 
that  the  steamer  was  at  last  under  way.  I  then  ventured  out 
on  deck,  and  recognized  you  in  the  boat.  I  also,  through 
my  glass,  saw  a  boat  at  a  distance  pulling  hard  toward  the 
steamer,  and  the  sight  made  my  heart  give  a  great  thump ; 
but  as  the  steamer  continued  on  past  the  last  fort,  headed  for 
the  ocean,  I  recovered  my  equanimity  and  drew  a  breath  of 
relief,  you  may  be  sure.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  I  realized 
what  a  terrible  strain  I  had  undergone  for  the  week  previous 
to  my  escape  from  Rio  Janeiro.  It  was  just  the  tightest 
bottle  I  was  ever  corked  up  in,  and  had  I  known  of  those 
regulations  about  passports,  I  never  should  have  put  my  neck 
so  nearl}^  into  the  Brazilian  halter;  and  when  we  were  pass- 
ing the  lonely  island  where  the  convicts  are  kept,  I  gazed 
upon  it,  happy  that  I  was  no  longer  a  candidate  for  a  long 
residence  in  that  desolate-looking  place.  On  board  I  found 
everything  correct,  and  no  suspicion  existing  that  I  was  not 
the  man  who  had  purchased  the  ticket. 

"  When  we  were  about  two  hundred  miles  out  the  engine 
broke  down,  and  for  a  time  I  thought  she  would  have  to  put 

(180) 


MEETING    WITH  McDONALD.  281 

back  to  Rio.  In  that  case  I  knew  it  would  be  all  up  with  me, 
and  you  can  imagine  the  state  of  my  feelings  while  the  sus- 
pense lasted.  However,  after  a  few  hours  the  break  was 
repaired,  and  we  got  under  way  again. 

"  The  140,000  in  gold,  which  I  kept  in  my  state-room,  was 
a  source  of  much  anxiety.  I  hardly  dared  to  go  on  deck,  or 
into  the  saloon  at  meal-time,  through  fear  that  it  might  be 
stolen.  At  last  I  put  the  money  in  possession  of  the  purser, 
who  charged  me  two  per  cent.,  or  eight  hundred  dollars, 
claiming  that  it  was  the  regular  rate.  On  the  arrival  of  the 
steamer  at  Lisbon,  I  determined  to  go  on  shore,  and  make 
my  way  to  Paris  overland  through  Spain,  for  the  reason  that 
I  feared  dispatches  might  have  been  sent  from  the  nearest 
cable  station  to  England,  warning  the  police  to  be  on  the 
lookout  when  the  steamer  should  arrive  at  Liverpool. 

"  As  the  gold  was  too  heavy  a  load  to  lug  about,  and  likely 
to  attract  attention,  I  went  to  an  English  firm  of  brokers 
doing  business  in  Lisbon,  and  purchased  Portuguese  stocks. 
Having  thus  got  the  money  into  portable  shape,  I  journeyed 
by  rail  and  diligence  to  Paris,  where  I  have  since  remained." 

A  few  days  later  I  met  McDonald.  He  was  eager  for 
"business,"  and  almost  the  first  question  he  asked  was, 
"  What  is  the  programme  ?  " 

"  Let  us  return  to  the  United  States,"  I  replied.  "  We 
have  a  good  capital  now  to  put  into  a  straight  mercantile 
business.  Let  us  do  no  more  'crooked'  work,  which  will  be 
certain  to  get  us  into  trouble  sooner  or  later."  For  that 
"one  more  operation"  among  all  classes  and  grades  of  thieves, 
from  the  common  sneak  to  the  colossal  bank  defaulter  and 
"  boodler,"  is  continued  until  the  small  ones  get  into  prison, 
and  the  great  ones  (generally)  get  out  of  the  country. 

We  finally  concluded  to  go  to  Paris  and  Vienna  for  a 
time.  When  we  reached  the  latter  city  we  were  delayed  by 
the  sickness  of  McDonald,  who  was  suffering  from  a  disease 
like  modern  "  malaria."  I  nursed  him  for  two  or  three 
weeks,  and  during  the  time  gave  him  several  powerful  shocks 


;[32  '^^^    GERMAN  OPERA. 

from  my  battery,  which  nearly  raised  him  out  of  bed,  if  they 
did  not  cure  him. 

We  were  living  in  Vienna — McDonald  at  the  Golden 
Lamb,  and  I  at  the  Grand  Hotel.  While  waiting  for  Mac's 
recovery  I  visited  the  Imperial  opera-house  almost  nightly, 
and  never  tired  of  listening  to  the  music  of  the  magnificent 
orchestra  —  then  the  best  in  the  world  —  each  member  being 
a  solo  artist  or  professor,  and  receiving  a  large  salary  or  pen- 
sion from  the  Emperor.  The  operas  were  rendered  in  the 
German  language,  and  "  Orpheus  and  Eurydice  "  was  brought 
out  in  a  manner  that  left  an  indelible  impression  upon  my 
mind,  although  I  had  previously  witnessed  that  great  creation 
of  Gliick's  in  Paris,  London,  and  New  York. 

As  I  passed  the  entire  day  with  McDonald  at  his  hotel,  I 
must  have  contracted  his  malady  to  some  extent,  for  when  he 
began  to  get  about  I  was  prostrated  and  confined  to  my  room 
for  a  whole  week.  As  I  had  never  experienced  serious  illness 
of  any  kind  since  childhood,  I  became  so  impatient  by  the 
end  of  the  week  that,  notwithstanding  the  doctor's  com- 
mands, I  declared  myself  recovered,  got  up  and  di*essed 
myself  for  a  walk.  On  each  floor  of  the  Grand  Hotel  in 
Vienna  there  was  at  this  time  (1872)  an  office  where  a  servant 
or  two  was  in  waiting  to  answer  the  bells.  When  I  was 
ready  to  go  out  I  had  occasion  to  call  a  servant,  and  touched 
the  electric  button.  I  distinctly  heard  the  bell  in  the  office 
ring  in  response,  as  I  stood,  cane  in  hand,  waiting  at  *the 
open  door  of  my  room.  Soon  I  touched  and  held  down  the 
button  for  a  longer  time,  and  again  waited  in  vain.  In  my 
then  nervous  condition  I  lost  both  patience  and  temper,  and 
continued  the  pressure  on  the  button  with  the  following  result : 
My  room  was  located  in  a  back  corridor  farthest  from  the 
office.  When  I  touched  the  button  I  heard  the  electric  bell 
connected  with  my  room  tingling  rapidly ;  soon  another  joined 
in  —  then  another  —  and  another  —  until  I  had  a  concert  of  at 
least  a  hundred  bells  going.  Presently  servants  came  rushing 
through  the  corridor,  and  seeing  me,  one  of  them  explained 


*'SIE  SIND   SCHONy  183 

that  my  bell  had  set  all  the  other  bells  in  the  house  going,  and 
in  consequence  they  could  not  tell  what  room  the  call  was 
from.  I  could  only  tell  them  that  if  they  had  answered  my 
first  or  second  call  there  would  have  been  no  concert.  Thence- 
forth my  calls  were  promptly  answered  so  long  as  I  remained 
at  that  hotel.  Had  Mark  Twain  been  at  the  Grand  Hotel  that 
day,  I  am  sure  he  could  have  obtained  material  for  an  entire 
humorous  chapter. 

While  on  the  way  to  Mac's  hotel  I  used  frequently  to  stop 
in  at  a  news-office  to  purchase  the  daily  paper,  which  I  read 
assiduously  to  improve  my  knowledge  of  the  German  lan- 
guage. This  news-office  was  conducted  by  two  sisters,  who 
were  fair  specimens  of  their  sex  in  a  city  famed  the  world 
over  for  beautiful  women.  I  used  to  air  my  German  by  ask- 
ing in  that  language  for  the  papers  I  wanted,  and  generally, 
to  my  great  satisfaction,  found  that  they  understood  me. 
After  I  had  been  a  regular  customer  for  some  time,  I  ventured 
to  attempt  a  compliment  upon  the  good  looks  of  one  of  the 
sisters,  remarking :  "  Sie  sind  schon ! "  A  look  of  surprise 
and  the  exclamation  "  Was  ? "  (what)  caused  me  to  repeat  in 
my  best  German :  "  Sie  sind  schon ! "  The  young  lady 
blushed,  looking  at  me  earnestly,  and  seeing  that  I  wore  an 
innocent  air  and  was  apparently  unconscious  of  anything  but 
pride  in  my  knowledge  of  German,  cast  her  eyes  thought- 
fully downward  for  a  moment,  and  then  suddenly  burst  out 
laughing,  clapped  her  hands  vigorously  and  said :  "  Oh 
Meinherr  !  Sie  wollen  sagen  schon!"  (You  are  beautiful). 
The  reader  will  observe  the  two  dots  (diaeresis)  over  the  "  o  " 
of  the  last  "  schon,"  without  which  the  pronunciation  of  the 
word  is  quite  different,  and  signifies  "  already "  instead  of 
"  beautiful."  I  had  no  intention  of  saying  to  her,  "  You  are 
already !" 

Of  the  many  incidents  connected  with  this  Vienna  trip,  T 
.distinctly  remember  two.  While  on  the  train  between  Paris 
and  Frankfort — having  no  money  current  in  the  German 
States — I  could  purchase  nothing  to  eat.     This  was  before 


]^g4  MAGYAR   GENEROSITY. 

the  new  Prussian  coinage  had  displaced  the  wretched  system 
previously  in  vogue,  by  which  each  petty  State  manufactured 
its  own  circulating  medium.  In  the  same  compartment  with 
me  was  a  Hungarian  gentleman  and  his  wife,  on  the  way  from 
Paris  to  their  home  in  Prague.  This  gentleman  spoke  Eng- 
lish fluently,  and  as  soon  as  he  learned  that  I  w^as  an  Ameri- 
can, both  himself  and  wife  became  enthusiastic  in  their  efforts 
to  be  sociable.  Noticing  that  I  did  not  get  out  at  the 
halting  places  for  meals,  he  finally  inquired  the  reason. 
When  I  acknowledged  the  dilemma  I  was  in,  he  produced  a 
large  pocket-book,  which  he  opened  and  handed  to  me  saying: 
"Help  yourself."  From  a  large  amount  in  Austrian  bank- 
notes I  selected  one  of  the  smallest  denomination,  and  returned 
the  pocketbook  with  my  thanks.  On  arrival  at  Frankfort,  I 
at  once  procured  the  amount  at  the  hotel  and  sent  it  to  the 
courteous  Hungarian. 

On  another  occasion,  at  the  station  of  a  German  town,  a 
young  married  couple  came  into  the  same  compartment. 
They  appeared  to  belong  to  the  prosperous  portion  of  the  com- 
munity, and  a  throng  of  well-dressed  people  came  to  the  train 
to  see  them  off.  The  bridegroom  wore  a  big,  loose  German 
wrapper,  something  like  an  ulster,  and  I  observed  that  the 
pockets  w^ere  like  bags  well  filled.  Not  long  after  we  came 
to  a  dining  station,  where  all  but  the  bridal  pair  and  myself 
had  dinner.  I  naturally  supposed  that  the  excitement  of  the 
occasion  had  taken  away  their  appetites,  but  was  thoroughly 
undeceived  when,  a  little  later,  the  man  spread  a  newspaper 
over  their  laps,  took  from  one  pocket  a  loaf  of  bread  at  least 
one  and  a  half  feet  long,  and  from  another  a  monstrous  bologna 
sausage.  Then,  taking  out  his  pocket-knife  he  cut  off  a 
"  chunk  "  of  each  for  his  bride  and  for  himself.  In  a  remark- 
ably short  period  they  had  eaten  fully  one-half  the  provisions, 
and  the  remainder  was  consigned  back  to  the  pockets  until 
supper  time. 

I  mention  these  incidents  of  travel  merely  to  illustrate  the 
proverbial  generosity  and  honest  simplicity  of  the  Slavonic 
and  Germanic  character. 


Chapter  XIX. 


tjnsuccessrul  attempt  to  "beat  the  dutch"  —  mac's  "great  discovert" 

—  london  again  —  first  inception  of  the  great  bank  of  england  forgery 

—  deductions  from  mcdonald's  "great  discovery" — verification  of 
commercial  notes  and  bills  of  exchange  —  letter  from  a  bank  manager 

—  i  cable  to  america  for  noyes  —  sir  sidney  waterlow's  clerks  —  mis- 
taken identity —  a  key  to  the  mystery  —  no  wood  engravers  in  paris 

—  i  put  my  neck  in  the  halter  —  horton  account  opened  at  the  conti- 
nental bank  — the  "fraud  machine  "  in  working  order —  i  resolve  to 
give  up  the  contemplated  fraud  and  go  home — a  fatal  compliance  — 
don't. 

ONCE  more  in  London  with  my  two  companiojns,  the  ques- 
tion arose  :  "  What  next  ?  "  I  had  determined  to  aban- 
don a  dangerous  business ;  but  difficulties  arose  which  caused 
delay  in  the  execution  of  my  project,  until  finally  I  concluded 
to  go  to  Amsterdam  to  see  if  I  could  find  an  opening  for  one 
more  operation  which  was  to  be  the  very  last  —  and  such  the 
one  opened  up  by  this  journey  proved  to  be.  Leaving  my 
companions  in  London,  I  arrived  in  the  city  of  dykes  and 
canals,  and  at  once  began  prospecting  among  the  bankers. 
But  the  cautious  Hollanders  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
strangers  at  any  price,  no  matter  how  plausible  the  pretext. 
It  was  in  vain  that  I  showed  them  my  circular  letter  of  credit 
and  United  States  passport.  These  awe-inspiring  documents, 
which  elsewhere  had  proved  a  sufficient  introduction,  had  no 
effect  with  the  good  burghers  of  Amsterdam.  They  received 
me  very  politely,  and  on  my  expressing  a  wish  to  purchase  a 
bill  of  exchange  on  London  (or  any  other  city),  the  reply 
invariably  was  :  "  Have  you  a  letter  of  introduction  to  us  ? " 
Upon  my  replying  in  the  negative  :  "  We  never  transact  busi- 
ness of  any  kind  with  persons  unknown  to  us,"  was  added  in 
way  of  explanation.     Then  handing  over  the  documents  above 

(185) 


1^3(3  IN  THE  JUDEN  STRASSE. 

mentioned,  I  said :  "  Unfortunately  I  did  not  procure  letters 
to  any  one  in  this  city,  not  expecting  to  make  any  stay,  but  I 
suppose  my  letter  of  credit  and  passport  will  be  a  sufficient 
introduction  for  the  purchase  of  a  bill  to  be  paid  for  in  cash  ?  " 
"  Anyone  can  procure  a  circular  letter  of  credit,"  was  the 
reply  ;  "  besides  it  is  our  invariable  rule  to  decline  all  dealings 
except  with  those  with  whom  we  are  acquainted,  either  per- 
sonally or  by  introduction."  A  few  trials  with  the  same 
result  satisfied  me  that  some  other  plan  must  be  discovered. 
I  was  nearly  at  my  wits'  end  as  to  how  to  insert  the  small  end 
of  the  wedge  which  should  pry  out  a  good-sized  nugget  from 
the  "pocket"  of  one  of  these  bulky  —  in  body  and  estate  — 
but  justly  cautious  Hollanders,  who  really  understood  how  to 
do  business  safely. 

Some  time  previously  I  had  purchased  several  bills  of 
exchange  in  Frankfort,  drawn  on  merchants  in  Amsterdam, 
but  not  yet  due.  I  now  called  on  them,  and,  in  each  case, 
had  the  bills  accepted,  at  the  same  time  telling  them  that  I 
wished  to  use  the  money  and  would  feel  obliged  if  they  would 
pay  their  bill  at  once  less  the  discount.  The  reply  was  as  I 
expected,  that  they  based  all  their  merchandise  operations  on 
paying  bills  only  as  fast  as  they  became  due.  The  real  object 
of  the  request  was  that  I  should  have  some  excuse  for  asking 
the  address  of  a  broker  whom  I  could  employ  to  purchase 
bills,  etc.  My  ruse  was  successful — for,  supposing  that  one 
who  held  their  own  paper  to  a  considerable  amount  must  be 
all  right,  upon  my  request  a  member  of  one  of  the  firms  on 
whom  I  called  gave  me  the  name  of  a  Mr.  Pinto,  a  Hebrew 
member  of  the  Amsterdam  Stock  Exchange.  In  this  way  I 
soon  procured  several  addresses.  With  the  list  I  returned  to 
the  "  Black  Eagle,"  and  after  a  twelve  o'clock  dinner  I  went 
in  search  of  Mr.  Pinto  and  found  him  at  his  residence  —  a 
front  room  of  which  served  for  an  office  —  in  the  Juden 
Strasse  (Jew  Street),  and  a  strange  place  it  is  on  a  Saturday 
afternoon,  the  time  when  I  first  visited  that  unfragrant  quar- 
ter.    Informing  him  of  my  business  and  the  name  of  the  mer- 


AN  UNFRUITFUL  FIELD.  187 

chant  who  gave  me  his  address  —  which  he  appeared  to  think 
a  sufficient  introduction  —  he  took  the  matter  in  hand,  and 
leaving  20,000  guilders  in  Dutch  bank-notes  with  him  for  the 
purchase  of  bills  on  Hamburgh,  also  the  Frankfort  bills  before 
named,  to  be  sold  on  "  Change,"  I  departed.  Calling  the  fol- 
lowing day  I  found  that  he  had  accomplished  the  transaction. 
I  then  deposited  a  still  larger  sum  with  him,  and  requested 
him  to  purchase  some  bills  in  "  marks  banco."  These  were 
duly  purchased  and  delivered,  but  so  far  I  could  see  no  open- 
ing for  a  "  speculation "  of  my  peculiar  kind.  Having  no 
particular  plan  of  procedure  up  to  this  moment,  I  was  only 
casting  about  in  an  experimental  way.  A  day  or  two  later  I 
called,  and  arranged  to  have  him  sell  on  Change  all  the  bills 
on  Hamburgh.  Later  he  informed  me  that  the  rate  of 
exchange  on  that  city  was  lower  and  that  he  had  not  sold  on 
account  of  the  price.  Upon  explaining  that  I  had  another 
operation  in  view  that  would  recoup  me  for  the  loss,  he  im- 
mediately went  on  Change  and  sold  out  at  a  loss  of  fifty 
pounds  sterling.  Among  the  bills  previously  purchased  was 
one  on  Baring  Brothers,  which  I  had  sent  to  McDonald  in 
London,  and  which,  as  will  be  seen,  proved  to  be  the  first  step 
in  the  "  Great  Bank  Forgery." 

Aside  from  the  Barings  bill  the  purchase  and  sale  of  all 
those  bills  had  accomplished  nothing  but  to  increase  my 
respect  for  the  cautious,  therefore  safe  modes  of  transacting 
business  in  Holland.  In  these  respects,  far  ahead  of  any 
other  country  in  which  I  ever  had  business  transactions,  the 
strict  uncompromising  methods  of  the  Dutch  rendered  the 
country  a  most  unfruitful  field  for  all  classes  of  swindlers. 
I  had  sold  out  the  bills  as  above,  because  there  seemed  to  be 
no  possible  way,  that  I  could  see,  to  "  beat  the  Dutch,"  and  I  had 
in  consequence  resolved  to  proceed  to  Frankfort-on-the-Main, 
with  the  hope  of  finding  some  way  to  make  the  Rothschilds 
contribute  a  small  part  of  the  wealth  accumulated  at  the  origi- 
nal starting-place  of  that  remarkable  family.  My  prepara- 
tions for  going  to  that  city  being  completed,  at  the  moment  of 


;j^gg  MAC  EXPLAINS. 

departure  I  received  a  dispatch  from  Mac  that  changed  the 
whole  aspect  of  affairs,  and  proved  that  the  unpremeditated 
sending  of  the  Baring  bill  gave  the  first  impulse  to  a  train  of 
ideas  which  finally  culminated  in  the  fraud  on  the  Bank  of 
England.  Let  the  reader  bear  in  mind  that  this  was  in  No- 
vember, less  than  four  months  before  the  first  false  bills  were 
sent  to  the  Bank  of  England  for  discount.     The  dispatch  read 

as  follows : 

London,  November  2d,  1872. 
To  George  Bidwell,  Amsterdam: 

Have  made  a  great  discovery.     Come  immediately.  Mac. 

This  dispatch  wagj;eallythe  first  inception  of  the  fraud ; 
and  yet  the  bank  managers,  in_order  to  protectthemselves  from 
the  charge  of  carelessness,  although  aware  of  the  existence 
of  the  dispatch,  made  every  effort  to  carry  the  impression 
that  we  had  contrived  the  plan  ot  the  fraud  in  America;  had 
there  spent  many  monthsjin~makmg  preparations |"and  that 
air  of  "our  operations^  the  ContinentTdescribed  ^bove  and 
lelsewhere,  were  a  part  of  the  original  scheme.  I  have  no 
desire  to  extenuate  or  excuse,  but  this  fact,  together  with  the 
alleged  "  attempt  to  escape  from  Newgate  "  during  the  trial, 
was  what  really  got  us  the  "  life  sentence." 

That  dispatch  was  a  great  mystery  to  me,  but  I  quickly 
decided  to  obey  the  summons,  first  obtaining  through  Mr. 
Pinto  a  number  of  bills  of  exchange  drawn  on  first-class 
London  houses.  Arriving  in  London  the  following  night,  I 
received  from  McDonald  a  solution  of  the  mystery.  I  give  his 
explanation,  as  near  as  I  can  remember,  in  his  own  words : 

"  As  soon  as  I  received  that  bill  on  Baring's  I  went  there 
to  collect  the  money.  Instead  of  paying  the  amount  by 
check  or  in  gold  or  notes,  as  I  expected,  the  cashier  stamped 
on  the  face:  'Payable  at  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank,' 
and  endorsed  it.  Upon  taking  it  there  it  was  cashed  without 
a  question.  It  occurred  to  me  immediately  that  if  we  were 
to  get  some  blank  bills  of  exchange,  we  could  make  as  many 
as  we  liked  by  imitating  the  original,  and  draw  the  money  from 
the  bank  with  the  same  ease  that  I  did  for  the  genuine  bill." 


AN  OPENING.  139 

Such  was  the  "  great  discovery "  that  had  brought  me 
from  Holland,  and  it  might  have  worked  for  the  small  sums 
that  could  be  drawn  in  one  day,  with  due  regard  to  safety. 
That  did  not  suit  me,  and  Mac's  financial  plan  was  never 
put  in  operation  'in  the  form  he  had  conceived ;  nevertheless 
it  served  as  an  initiatory  step  in  the  long  journey  which  we 
were  preparing  to  undertake. 

McDonald  had  no  sooner  informed  me  of  the  particulars 
regarding  his  "  great  discovery  "  than  it  flashed  through  my 
mind :  "  Here  is  the  opportunity  to  use  the  long-neglected 
Bank  of  Enoiand  account."  I  reasoned  that  as  the  bank  had 
paid  the  Barings  bill  to  McDonald  without  verifying  the 
signature,  it  must  be  the  custom  in  England  to  transfer  bills 
of  exchange  from  hand  to  hand  without  sending  them  to  the 
acceptors  to  be  initialed.  If  this  was  true,  it  followed  that 
the  banks  discounted  paper  without  making  an}"  inquiry  as 
to  the  genuineness  of  the  signatures,  relying  entirely  on  the 
character  of  the  customer  who  offered  the  paper  for  discount. 

Here  was  an  opening,  indeed ! 

When  this  proved  to  be  a  fact,  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  start 
a  manufactory  for  making  imitation  bills,  and  deposit  them 
in  the  Bank  of  England  for  discount  through  the  medium  of 
the  "  Warren  "  account. 

This  reasoning  appeared  to  be  sound ;  still,  I  could  not 
believe  it  to  be  among  the  possibilities  that  any  bank,  espe- 
cially an  institution  like  the  Bank  of  England,  should  do 
business  in  so  loose  a  manner.  In  New  York,  so  long  ago  as 
1854  —  the  year  of  my  first  visit  to  that  emporium  —  it  had 
been  the  custom  among  the  bankers  and  brokers  to  send  all 
offered  paper  to  the  purported  drawers  or  acceptors  to  have  it 
initialed  by  them.  In  consequence  of  that  very  necessary 
precaution,  any  attempt  to  perpetrate  on  a  New  York  bank 
such  a  fraud  as  the  one  so  easily  carried  out  against  the 
Bank  of  England,  would  have  been  nipped  in  the  bud. 

The  following  letter  from  the  London  Times  comes  in 
apropos  at  this  point : 


190  P^(^TS. 

LoNDox,  September  8,  1873. 
To  THE  Editor  of  "The  Times": 

Sir,  —  The  revelations  which  have  been  made,  in  connection 
with  the  late  Bank  of  England  forgeries,  have  shown  us  a  weak- 
ness in  our  way  of  doing  business  in  neglecting  to  obtain  the  verifi- 
cation of  acceptors  and  drawers  to  bills  discounted. 

Doubtless  the  presentation  and  initialing  of  every  bill  discounted 
by  our  large  London  bankers  would  entail  much  time  and  extra 
labor,  and  w^ould  in  many  cases  be  impossible;  but  it  would  be  a 
comparatively  easy  matter  to  send  a  copy  of  each  bill  discounted  to 
the  acceptor  and  drawer,  informing  them  that  such  a  bill  had  been 

discounted  by  Messrs. ,  printed  forms  being  kept  for  the 

purpose,  leaving  a  blank  place  for  name,  date,  and  amount. 

I  am,  etc.,  Bank  Manager. 

In  turn  I  explained  my  plan  of  using  the  Warren  account 
in  the  Bank  of  England  that  had  been  lying  so  long  compara- 
tively useless.  Without  delay  the  bulk  of  our  money  was 
placed  in  Warren's  hands  to  deposit  in  the  account,  so  that 
in  case  we  finally  concluded  to  attempt  the  execution  of  the 
fraud,  the  large  balance  would  show  well  on  the  bank  books. 
I  also  sent  the  following  cable  dispatch  to  E.  Noyes  Hills 
("Noyes"),  New  York: 

Come  by  first  steamer.     Answer,  Langham,  London. 

In  sending  for  Noyes  at  this  time,  my  idea  was  to  have 
"  Warren  "  introduce  him  to  the  bank,  and  let  him  open  an 
account,  by  means  of  which  the  fraud  could  be  carried  on, 
leaving  Austin  entirely  disconnected  with  it,  save  in  having 
introduced  Noyes.  I  imagined  that  in  such  a  case  no  proof 
could  be  adduced  that  he  knew,  at  the  time  of  introduction, 
of  Noyes'  intention  to  defraud  the  bank.  On  more  mature 
reflection  I  saw  that  such  a  transfer  might  thwart  the  wdiole 
undertaking,  by  starting  inquiries  which  should  bring  to  light 
the  very  slender  foundation  on  which  the  Warren  account 
had  been  opened  with  the  Bank  of  England.  Besides,  that 
account  had  been  made  more  solid  by  the  length  of  time  it 
had   been  opened,  and   the   amount   of  legitimate   business 


MONETARY  MATTERS.  291 

transactions  through  it.  I  therefore  proposed  an  alternative 
plan  which  was  at  once  put  in  execution,  as  follows : 

On  the  2d  of  December,  1873,  Austin,  who  had  not  yet 
had  the  warning  of  a  portending  railway  accident,  opened  an 
account  at  the  Continental  Bank  in  the  name  of  C.  J.  Horton, 
depositing  £1,300  in  bank-notes.  As  anticipated,  seeing 
their  new  customer  deposit  such  a  sum,  no  embarrassing 
questions  were  asked  by  the  managers,  and,  doubtless, 
noting  that  he  had  "  business  "  transactions  with  a  depositor 
in  the  Bank  of  England,  whose  checks  were  duly  honored 
there,  they  were  led  to  believe  that  further  inquiry  was 
unnecessary.  The  next  day  I  had  a  Warren  check  deposited 
to  Horton's  account,  and  the  operation  repeated,  varied  with 
checking  out  small  sums,  from  day  to  day,  in  order  to  give 
the  affair  an  air  of  genuine  business.  I  also  purchased  sev- 
eral bills  of  exchange,  and  had  Warren  take  them  to  the  bank 
manager,  Mr.  Francis,  for  discount.  Upon  returning  from 
the  bank,  he  said  there  would  be  no  risk  in  taking  £50,000 
in  false  bills  and  bringing  away  the  gold,  thus  ending  the  whole 
matter  at  a  stroke.  But  this  appearing  to  me  a  hazardous 
undertaking,  I  adhered  to  the  slower  plan,  though,  as  the 
sequel  shows,  such  a  coup  might  have  been  successful.  The 
backs  of  the  bills  were  covered  with  the  endorsements  of 
the  various  firms  through  whose  hands  they  had  passed. 
These  endorsements  were  copied  in  facsimile  so  that  the 
false  bills  in  contemplation  should  have  all  the  characteristics 
of  the  originals. 

As  bills  of  exchange  will  be  frequently  mentioned,  some  of 
my  readers  may  not  know  exactly  what  they  are,  and  how 
used.  For  example,  a  manufacturer  of  silk  in  Lyons  sells 
goods  to  the  amount  of  five  thousand  dollars  to  a  responsible 
merchant  on  six  months'  credit.  The  merchant  gives  his  note 
or  bill  for  the  whole,  or,  as  is  usual,  several  of  five  hundred 
or  a  thousand  each,  to  the  order  of  himself,  or  the  manufact- 
urer, payable  at  (say)  Rothschilds'  in  London.  He  is  careful 
to  see  that  his  balance  is  sufficient  or  to  arrange  with  the  Roths- 


192  THE  LORD  MAYOR'S  PRINTING-HOUSE. 

childs  to  accept  and  pay  them  when  due.  The  manufacturer 
endorsing  pays  them  out,  or  puts  them  in  his  bank  for  discount. 
The  bank  in  turn  also  endorsing,  sells  them  to  a  customer  who 
has  bills  to  meet  in  London.  After  endorsing,  he  likewise 
remits  them  to  his  correspondents,  who  pay  his  bills  with  the 
proceeds  of  their  discount  or  sale  —  first,  however,  sending 
them  to  be  accepted  by  the  Rothschilds,  from  which  time  they 
are  known  as  "  acceptances." 

It  may  be  easily  seen  how  I  was  enabled  to  plan  and  exe- 
cute this  mammoth  fraud,  when  I  state  that  the  Bank  of  Eng- 
land cashed  acceptances  such  as  I  have  described  without 
sending  them  to  the  Rothschilds  to  see  ivliether  their  signa- 
ture or  aceejytance  was  genuine.  The  last  seven  words  give  the 
key  to  the  whole  mystery.  While  in  Germany  I  had  purchased 
every  variety  of  ink  on  sale  at  the  stationers,  so  that  in  case  of 
need  I  could  have  not  only  any  written  document  imitated, 
but  also  written  with  like  ink.  I  had  also,  out  of  curiosity, 
purchased  a  great  variety  of  blank  bills  of  exchange,  printed 
in  French,  German,  Dutch,  Italian,  Russian,  Turkish,  and 
Arabic.  At  the  time  of  this  purchase,  my  companions  laughed 
at  me  for  "  lugging  about  a  lot  of  trash  "  for  which  I  had  no 
possible  use.  But,  now  that  I  was  about  to  tackle  the  Bank 
of  England,  I  found  them,  like  Mrs.  Partington's  coffin-plate, 
handy  to  have  in  a  portmanteau.  I  also  continued  sending 
remittances  to  my  Hebrew  broker  in  Amsterdam,  Mr.  Pinto, 
requesting  him  to  send  me  several  bills  on  London.  These, 
together  with  some  already  in  my  possession,  gave  me  the 
opportunity  of  getting  a  great  number  of  the  endorsements, 
stamps,  and  signatures  of  leading  firms  on  the  Continent  and 
in  London. 

I  went  to  the  printing  and  stationery  establishment  of  Sir 
Sidney  Waterlow,  then  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  before  whom 
we  were  afterward  under  examination  at  the  Mansion  House, 
at  intervals  for  four  months  (see  cut),  there  I  left  an  order  for 
two  books  of  blank  drafts  or  bills  of  exchange,  and  in  a  few 
days  called  at  the  city  office  for  them.     The  manager  had  to 


BLACK  AND  BLUE.  ;[93 

send  to  the  printing-house  for  them,  and  in  consequence  kept 
me  waiting  more  than  an  hour,  he  and  the  clerk  talking  with 
me  for  some  time.  Yet  those  two  men  within  three  months 
swore  before  their  master,  the  Lord  Mayor,  on  our  examination, 
that  McDonald  Avas  the  man  —  he  having  light  hair  and  blue 
eyes,  my  hair  being  black  —  and  Mac  and  I  sitting  beside 
each  other  in  full  view  of  the  witnesses. 

I  only  mention  this  as  an  instance  of  mistaken  identifica- 
tion, which  less  than  fifty  years  ago  might  have  hanged  Mac, 
and  set  me,  the  real  actor,  at  liberty.  In  this  connection  it 
will  be  proper  to  state  that,  not  wishing  any  one  to  suffer  for 
my  own  acts,  as  soon  as  the  day's  examination  was  over, 
after  returning  to  my  lonely  cell  in  Newgate,  I  wrote  a  full 
account  regarding  my  visit  to  the  Lord  Mayors  establishment, 
giving  pai'ticulars  which  proved  so  conclusive  that  those  im- 
portant witnesses  did  not  appear  at  the  subsequent  trial  at 
the  Old  Bailey. 

I  also  required  some  small  wood  engravings  —  f ac-similes 
of  the  various  bank  and  private  endorsement  stamps.  It  had 
been  a  part  of  my  plan  that  I  was  to  remain  in  the  back- 
ground, contriving  and  giving  directions,  leaving  others  to 
carry  them  out.  The  reason  for  this  was  that  I  might  be  free 
from  anxiety  for  my  personal  safety,  and  would  thereby  be 
enabled  to  act  with  coolness  and  judgment  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  business,  and  in  disposing  of  the  proceeds  of  the 
fraud  in  case  the  project  should  be  successful.  I  also  intended 
that  no  one  of  us,  except  Xoyes,  should  show  himself  in  Eng- 
land in  connection  with  the  affair,  therefore  I  sent  McDonald, 
who  could  pass  for  a  Frenchman,  to  Paris  to  get  the  required 
blocks  engraved.  After  three  or  four  days'  absence  he 
returned  to  London  without  them,  and  gave  me  the  surprising 
information  that  there  were  "  no  wood  engravers  in  Paris.'* 
I  afterwards  discovered  that  while  there  he  whiled  away  the 
time,  and  returned  to  play  that  tale  on  my  credulity. 

Placing  implicit  belief  in  that  statement,  I  had  a  serious 
argument  with  myself  as  to  whether  I  should  not  throw  up  the 
13 


194  DONDON    WOOD  ENGRAVERS. 

whole  matter  and  go  home,  rather  than  do  anything  which 
might  involve  me  and  leave  a  possible  clue  to  connect  myself 
with  the  fraud  ;  for  it  would  be  a  very  delicate  operation  to  pro- 
cure the  blocks,  etc.,  in  London,  without  arousing  suspicion, 
and  I  would  trust  no  one  else  to  do  it.  Suppose  that  the 
actions  or  words  of  the  person  sent  should  excite  the  suspicion 


MERCHANTS     EXCHANGE,   ILLUMINATED. 

of  the  engraver,  trifling  indications  of  which  might  not  be 
noticed,  or  thought  worth  reporting  to  me  ?  The  engraver 
would  communicate  his  suspicions  to  the  police,  detectives 
put  on,  and  we  "  ambushed  "  in  the  midst  of  our  operations. 
Finally  T  resolved  to  order  the  blocks  myself  —  there  being  no 
wood  engravers  in  Paris  —  though  with  great  reluctance,  and 


NO  YES  THE  HERO,  195 

with  the  feeling  that  I  was  committing  a  grave  error.  1 
therefore  made  a  list  of  all  the  wood  engravers  in  London,  and 
spent  two  or  three  days  driving  about  in  a  cab,  selecting  five 
out  of  the  forty  or  fifty  with  whom  I  conversed,  to  do  the 
work,  judging  them  to  possess  simple,  unsuspicious  natures. 
The  result  proved  that  I  made  no  mistake  in  my  selections, 
as  the  work  was  quickly  done,  and  no  suspicions  as  to  its  real 
object  transpired. 

It  would  appear  that  the  qualifications  thus  worse  than 
wasted,  if  properly  used  might  have  taken  me  to  the  top  round 
of  the  ladder;  though  I  do  not  mention  this  in  a  boasting 
spirit,  but  only  to  show  that  where  I  made  a  failure  of  getting 
rich  by  dishonest  means,  others  would  doubtless  have  been  de- 
feated, for  "  something  "  always  happens. 

In  the  meantime  Noyes  had  received  my  cablegram  and 
sailed  for  England.  An  hour  after  his  arrival  in  London  I 
met  him,  and  in  answer  to  his  inquiries,  informed  him 
that  I  was  speculating  on  the  Merchants'  Exchange,  and 
expected  to  wind  up  my  operations  shortly.  I  told  him  he 
must  ask  no  more  questions,  but  follow  my  directions  implic- 
itly and  promptly  ;  that  I  should  not  even  let  him  know  where 
the  rest  of  us  lodored,  after  the  first  of  Januarv.  I  further 
informed  him  that  he  was  to  act  as  clerk  for  "  Horton," 
and  though  our  operations  were  a  little  irregular,  that  he 
should  be  taken  care  of,  kept  out  of  danger,  and  be  well  paid 
for  his  services ;  and  impressing  it  on  his  mind  to  obey  orders 
like  a  soldier,  I  left  him. 

And  yet,  this  man,  who  was  to  be  paid  with  about  five  per 
cent,  of  the  proceeds  of  the  crime,  received  the  same  life  sen- 
tence, and  is  at  the  present  time  serving  his  sixteenth  year  at 
hard  labor  in  Portsmouth  Prison,  England.  When  arrested, 
he  would  not  betray  us  !  even  though  the  prosecution  offered 
to  permit  him  to  turn  Queen's  evidence,  the  acceptance  of 
which  would  have  freed  him  as  soon  as  the  trial  should  be 
finished.  Let  his  case  be  a  warning  not  to  touch  pitch  lest 
ye  be  drawn  into  the  slimy  depths. 


196  ^  PROPOSITION. 

In  order  to  secure  Noyes  against  any  fatal  disaster  in  case 
of  a  premature  discovery,  1  had  an  advertisement  for  a  situa- 
tion as  clerk,  by  one  who  could  deposit  a  cash  guarantee, 
inserted  in  the  Daily  Telegraph  (London).  This  Noyes  was 
to  show  to  the  landlord  of  Durant's  hotel  where  he  was  staying, 
and  arrange  a  meeting  between  himself  and  Horton,  taking 
care  that  persons  should  be  within  hearing  while  the  latter 
bargained  with  the  former  to  become  his  clerk.  To  cover 
this  source  of  danger  to  Noyes  more  surely,  I  had  them  go  to 
David  Howell,  solicitor  —  of  whom  more  anon  —  who  drew 
up  an  article  of  agreement  between  them,  for  which  that  delec- 
table limb  of  the  law  charged  ten  pounds  sterling.  On  De- 
cember 28,  1872,  I  mailed  from  Birmingham  to  the  Bank  of 
England  genuine  bills  of  exchange,  amounting  to  four  thou- 
sand three  hundred  and  seven  pounds,  for  discount,  in  order 
to  ascertain  if  our  "  Fraud  Machine  "  was  in  working  order, 
and  as  they  were  discounted  without  question,  this  proved  to 
be  the  case. 

Shortly  after  the  events  just  recorded,  I  received  a  letter 
from  my  wife  which  determined  me  to  return  home  at  once, 
and  woe  to  me  that  I  failed  to  carry  out  that  determination. 
Going  immediately  to  the  Grosvenor  Hotel,  where  my  two  prin- 
cipal associates  were  staying,  I  informed  them  of  my  resolution. 
After  some  discussion  it  was  agreed  to  drop  the  plan  against 
the  Bank,  and  I  reverted  to  my  old  idea  of  going  to  Chicago 
to  engage  in  trade. 

Upon  leaving  I  told  my  brother  that  I  was  going  to  pay 
my  bills,  and  should  call  later  for  a  check  for  my  share  of  the 
money  in  the  bank.  Having  paid  up  all  my  personal  debts, 
I  found  that  I  could  get  off  to  America  by  the  next  day's 
steamer  from  Liverpool.  Permit  me  right  here  to  call  atten- 
tion to  one  of  those  very  slight  causes  which  affect  a  man's 
entire  future  existence,  and  which  made  me  change  my  plans, 
so  that,  instead  of  passing  happy  years  amidst  family  and 
friends,  I  came  to  endure  long  years  of  misery  in  a  foreign 
prison.     Thus  it  happened :    While  I  was  absent,  McDonald 


THEORIZING.  197 

requested  my  brother  Austin  to  propose  to  me  that  I  should 
leave  my  share  of  the  money  behind  in  the  bank  and  draw 
for  it  after  my  arrival    in   America.     Accordingly,  when   I 
returned,  that  proposition  was  made  to  me,  and  it  placed  me 
in  a  quandary ;  for  I  did  not  like  to  show  apparent  distrust 
by  refusing,  nor    did    I   like  the  idea   of   leaving  it  behind. 
Besides  such  a  proposition  at  that  juncture,  made  me  suspect 
an  intention  on  their   part  to  remain  behind  with  the  idea 
of  attempting  to  carry  out  the  plan  of  fraud.     In  my  opin- 
ion, any  attempt  to  undertake  the  management  of  such  an 
operation,  involved  certain  disaster,  as  neither  of  them  pos- 
sessed the  exact  qualifications  requisite,  especially  an  exact 
knowledge  of,  and    experience    acquired  in,  legitimate  busi- 
ness.    I  theorized  thus  to  myself:    "This  is  one  of   those 
unique  operations  which,  if  anything,  will  result  in  a  great 
success  or  a  terrible  disaster.     I  see  clearly  that  the  affair 
can  be  carried  on  so  that  only  one  person  need  show  himself, 
and  if  each  does  his  part  thoroughly,  it  can  be  done  with 
little  or  no  risk.     Still  it  will  not  be  common  prudence  for  us 
two  brothers  to  take  part  in  the  same  criminal  operation.     If 
I  go  into  this,  he  shall  go  home  ;  and  if  I  should  get  into  trou- 
ble, he  could   look  after  my  family.     But  that  'if  is  what 
troubles  me.     To  be  sure,  I  can  shroud  the  operation  and 
the  operators    in  so   thick   a  veil   of  mystery  that  it  would 
trouble  them  to  get  a  clue  or  even  to  discover  the  fraud  until 
two  months  after  we  should  all  be  out  of  England."     It  will 
be  perceived  that  the  whole  plan  and  system  of  operations 
stood  clearly  outlined  in  my  mind.     One  thing  alone  gave  me 
cause  of  distrust,  and  that  was  the  possibility  of  carelessness 
or  neglect  on  the  part  of  my  ablest  associate ;  but  I  thought 
I    could    make    such    strict   terms    and   conditions    that   no 
disaster  would  be  likely  to  happen  from  that  source,  unless 
I  ivas  directly  deceived  and  kept  in  the  dark  regarding  his 
movements,  and  I  believed  he  had  too  much  good  sense  to  do 
that.     The  result  will  show,  by  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
examples  on  record,  that  the  only  road  to  final  success  is  to 


198  "^^•" 

keep  clear  of  the  slightest  contact  with  wrong-doing,  no 
matter  how  plausible  the  reasonings. 

Certainly,  in  planning  so  gigantic  a  fraud,  I  believed  every 
point  could  be  so  completely  covered,  that  even  my  name 
would  never  be  known,  for  otherwise  I  should  have  been 
hunted  through  the  world.  Without  this  apparent  certainty 
I  should  have  abandoned  the  idea  of  a  job  which  turned  out 
so  badly  that  it  took  me  nearly  fifteen  years  to  get  out  of  it. 

If  among  my  readers  there  may  be  one  who  has  become 
possessed  with  the  idea  that  he  cannot  make  money  enough 
honestly  to  satisfy  his  desires,  and  is  inclined  to  try  the  other 
plan,  my  counsel  is — donH!  Better  to  reduce  the  desires  to 
fit  the  circumstances,  than  get  into  circumstances  the  end  of 
which  may  be  a  prison  —  in  any  event,  disgrace. 

I  tried  one  plan  thoroughly,  and  as  sure  as  you  do,  it  will 
come  home  and  blast  your  life,  as  it  has  blasted  mine  and  the 
lives  of  those  near  and  dear  to  me — and  as  it  has  invariably 
blasted  the  lives  of  all  who  have  "  tried  it  on  ". 

Still  that  "  if "  stood  in  my  way ;  however,  I  finally  con- 
cluded to  defer  my  journey  home  for  a  day  or  two,  that  I 
might  have  time  to  consider  this  new  phase  in  the  posture  of 
affairs. 


Chapter  XX. 


A  HEADLONG  MARRIAGE— TRAGIC  END  OF  A  BRIDAL  TOUR  —  FIRST  LETTER  TO 
THE  BANK  OF  ENGLAND  —  ^50,000  A  DAT — AM  PUZZLED  WHAT  TO  DO  WITH 
SO  MUCH  GOLD  —  A  TRIO  AT  THE  ST.  JAMES  HOTEL,  PICCADILLY  —  FOREBOD- 
INGS—  A   JOKE   ON   THE   PRINCE   OF   WALES — GARRAWAY'S. 

AFTER  some  consideration  I  decided,  instead  of  return- 
ins:  to  America,  to  take  the  manau'ement  of  the  con- 
templated  fraud  on  the  Bank  of  England ;  for  it  appeared  as 
certain  as  any  human  event  that,  with  proper  precautions  and 
skillful  handling,  the  scheme  could  be  carried  out  without  our 
real  names  becoming  known,  and  that  no  clue  need  be  left  by 
which  any  trace  of  the  perpetrators  could  be  discovered. 

Even  with  this  prospect,  I  resolved  that  my  brother 
should  not  take  the  risk  of  remaining  in  England,  so  that 
in  case  the  attempt  resulted  disastrously,  he  at  least  would  be 
in  safety. 

I  was  regarded  the  only  one  who  could  manage  the  affair 
with  any  hope  of  success,  and  I  declined  to  have  anything  to 
do  with  it  unless  Austin  was  first  beyond  danger. 

At  this  juncture  a  remarkable  circumstance  occurred^ 
which,  with  his  engagement,  decided  the  matter  according 
to  my  wish.  Thus  it  happened:  About  the  first  of  January, 
1873,  Austin  left  for  Paris.  The  express  train,  beyond  Calais, 
ran  off  the  track,  and  one  man  or  more  was  killed  in  the 
same  carriage  with  him.  He  was  jammed  in  the  wreck, 
badly  wounded  with  splinters,  and  so  shaken  that  he  was 
carried  away  on  a  stretcher  to  the  other  train.  He  believed 
his  escape  almost  miraculous. 

I  have  referred  to  Austin's  engagement,  the  nature  of 
which  was  as  follows :   While  in  London,  he  had  made  the 

(199) 


200  ''THEIR  WEDDING  JOURNEYS 

acquaintance  of  a  young  lady  whom  he  determined  to  marry. 
Matters  had  come  to  this  stage  before  I  was  informed  of 
the  affair. 

When  he  disclosed  to  me  his  intention  of  marrying  the 
young  lady,  I  said  to  him :  "  Do  not  think  of  marrying  her 
before  you  are  settled  in  business.  Go  home,  and  with  the 
money  you  have,  get  into  some  legitimate  occupation ;  then 
you  can  marry  with  a  good  conscience,"  etc.  But  when  did  a 
person  in  love  ever  act  from  prudential  considerations,  and  on 
wholesome  advice? 

The  matter  remained  thus  until  after  the  railway  accident 
before  mentioned,  and  I  now  found  him  very  willing  to  go 
home,  cutting  off  all  connection  with  the  contemplated  fraud ; 
also  to  give  up  the  idea  of  marriage  until  he  had  established 
himself  in  business.  Accordingly  I  went  with  him  as  far  as 
Calais  —  he  to  take  the  steamer  at  Havre  for  New  York  — 
and  returned  to  London  to  begin  putting  the  forged  bills 
into  the  Bank  of  England,  rejoicing  in  the  fact  that  my 
brother  was  then  on  his  way  back  to  America  and  conse- 
quent safety ;  but,  as  I  discovered  some  months  later,  he 
remained  in  France. 

After  we  parted  at  Calais,  it  occurred  to  him  that  it  would 
be  a  fine  plan  —  one  that  he  thought  could  do  no  harm  to 
any  one  —  to  turn  the  trip  to  America  into  a  "  wedding  jour- 
ney." He  had  money  with  which  he  believed  he  could  go 
into  business  there,  and  with  unwise  reasoning,  usual  to  young 
men  in  love,  he  easily  convinced  himself  that  the  best  thing 
he  could  do  was  to  take  a  wife  with  him  to  America.  There- 
fore, he  arranged  with  a  friend  of  the  young  lady's  mother  to 
bring  them  both  to  Paris.  This  was  done,  and  soon  after  they 
were  married  at  the  American  embassy  —  he  settling  a  con- 
siderable sum  on  his  wife,  which  was  placed  in  the  mother's 
safe-keeping.  The  mother  returned  to  England,  and  the 
newly  married  pair  started  on  a  tour  through  Spain,  taking 
the  steamer  at  Cadiz  for  Havana. 

The  following  dispatch,  copied  from  the  London   Times, 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  END.  201 

will  serve  to  show  the  beginning  of  the  sequel  to  his  rash  but 
lover-like  proceedings : 

{Times,  April  7, 1873.] 

Philadelphia,  March  25th. 

The  arrest  of  Austin  Bidwell,  another  of  the  persons  imph- 
cated  in  the  Bank  of  England  forgeries,  who  was  captured  at 
Havana,  through  the  agency  of  the  cables,  has  probably  already 
been  announced  in  England.  A  telegram  from  Havana  states  that 
although  there  is  no  extradition  treaty  with  England,  the  authorities 
intend  to  give  Bidwell  up  and  allow  him  to  be  taken  to  London  as 
soon  as  the  proper  proofs  are  furnished. 

As  soon  as  Austin  and  his  wife  were  brought  to  London, 
she  deserted  him. 

I  asrain  resume  the  thread  of  mv  narrative.  It  had  occu- 
pied  about  two  months  in  making  the  preparations  described 
in  the  last  chapter,  and  I  was  still  so  doubtful  as  to  the  possi- 
bility that  the  Bank  of  England  would  not  discover  the 
fraud  with  the  first  batch  of  bills,  that  I  had  fully  prepared 
only  what  represented  £4,250.  I  had  preserved  the  endorse- 
ment blocks  used  in  their  manufacture,  so  that  in  case  we 
were  disappointed,  and  the  bank  really  discounted  them,  we 
could  rush  up  a  larger  number  in  a  few  days.  It  was  exactly 
this  doubt  which  had  prevented  the  accumulation  of  a  suffi- 
cient quantity  of  false  bills ;  for  despite  the  fair  look  of  the 
thing,  it  was  difficult  to  believe  otherwise  than  that  the  bank 
had  what  looked  like  a  vulnerable  point  guarded  in  some  way 
that  had  escaped  my  scrutiny.  Besides,  I  had  the  Warren 
account  with  the  Bank  of  England,  and  the  Horton  account 
at  the  Continental  Bank.  With  these  simple  means  I  now 
proposed  to  enter  the  bomb-proof  vaults  of  the  greatest  finan- 
cial fortress  of  which  history  gives  account. 

My  brother  was  safely  out  of  England.  All  was  prepared 
for  the  trial  test. 

"  Will  the  false  bills  go  through  ?  Will  the  argus  eyes  of 
the  renowned  Bank  of  England  detect  the  imposture  at  the 
first  glance  ? "  These  and  similar  questions  agitated  my 
mind  at  this  juncture.      To  settle  the  question,  I  took  the 


202  -P^^' <^^l  ^^Ti ONAR  Y  MEASURES. 

X 4,250  in  false  bills  and  went  to  Birmingham.  There  I 
engaged  a  room  at  the  Queen's  Hotel,  and  on  paper  brought 
with  me  I  wrote  in  Warren's  name,  imitating  his  hand- 
writing, to  Mr.  Francis,  Manager  of  the  Western  Branch  of 
the  Bank  of  England,  the  following : 

/  BiRMiNGHAjvi,  January  21,  1873. 

Dear  Sir: 

I  hand  you  herewith,  as  per  enclosed  memorandum,  bills  for 
discount,  the  proceeds  of  which  please  place  to  my  credit  on  receipt. 
I  remain,  dear  sir,  Yours  very  truly, 

F.  A.  Warren. 

On  the  previous  day  all  the  money,  except  about  one  hun- 
dred pounds,  had  been  drawn  out  of  the  London  banks,  so 
that  in  case  of  a  discovery  that  would  be  the  only  additional 
loss  —  the  previous  preparations  having  cost  about  as  much 
more.  We  had  also  prepared  everything  for  an  immediate 
flight  in  case  it  should  prove  a  failure.  I  waited  in  Birming- 
ham until  the  next  day,  in  order  to  hear  from  Mr.  Francis,  or 
otherwise  get  a  clue  as  to  the  fate  of  the  false  bills.  In  case 
the  forgery  had  been  discovered,  he  would  doubtless  reply  to 
the  letter  all  the  same,  and  simultaneously  put  the  Birming- 
ham police  on  the  scent,  or  send  a  detective  from  London  to 
watch  at  the  post-office  and  arrest  the  person  who  called  for 
the  letter.  Suppose  I  should  be  thus  arrested  ?  Mr.  Francis 
could  not  recognize  me  as  otherwise  connected  with  his  cus- 
tomer, Warren,  he  never  having  seen  me ;  but  I  should  have 
been  asked  some  awkward  questions,  and  why  I  had  called 
for  Warren's  letters.  That  I  might  have  even  a  lame  excuse 
ready,  I  wrote  a  note  as  follows : 

Birmingham,  January  22,  1873. 
Postmaster: 

Sir, — Please   deliver  any  letters   for  me  to  the   bearer,   and 

oblige  F.  A.  Warren. 

Calling  at  the  post-office,  and  seeing  no  sign  that  it  was 
specially  watched,  I  handed  in  the  order,  and  was  given  a 


THE  FRAUD  IN  FULL  BLAST.  203 

letter.     Had  I  been  arrested,  I  should  have  said  that  I  met  a 

gentleman  on  the  train  and  fell  into  conversation  with  him, 

and  just  before  arriving  at  Birmingham  he  remarked  that  he 

must  continue  his  journey  to  Liverpool,  and  would  feel  obliged 

to  me   if    I  would    call   for  his  letters  and   forward   them. 

I  hurried  to  catch  the  London  train,  and  as  soon  as  I  was 

under  way  I  opened  the  letter,  which  was  to  the  following 

purport : 

Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England, 

London,  January  22,  1873. 

F.  A.  Warren,  Esq.,  P.  0.  Birmingham: 

Dear  Sir,  —  Your  favor  of  the  21st,  enclosing  £4,250  in  bills 

for  discount,   is  received,   and  proceeds  of  same  passed   to  your 

credit  as  requested.     Hoping  you  are  recovering  from  the  effects 

of  the  fall  from  your  horse,  and  that  I  may  have  the  pleasure  of 

seeing  you  in  London  soon,  I  remain,  dear  sir, 

Yours  faithfully,  .  P.  M.  Francis. 

On  arrival  in  London,  I  gave  Noyes  "  Warren  "  checks  for 
<£ 4,000,  which  he  deposited  in  the  Continental  Bank  to  Hor- 
ton's  credit.  I  next  filled  in  and  siirned  Horton  checks  for 
about  <£ 3,000,  with  which  he  purchased  United  States  bonds 
from  Jay  Cooke,  M'Culloch  &  Co.,  at  their  banking-house  in 
Lombard  Street  —  the  Wall  Street  of  London. 

This  completed  the  operation,  and  as  soon  as  we  could 
prepare  more  false  bills  we  were  ready  for  another  of  exactly 
the  same  kind,  only  on  a  larger  scale  —  and  thus  we  kept 
repeating  until  the  discovery. 

Thinking  that  the  purchase  of  such  large  sums  of  United 
States  bonds  from  day  to  day  might  attract  attention,  I 
devised  another  plan,  viz. :  The  forged  bills  being  sent  from 
Birmingham  by  mail,  discounted  and  placed  to  Warren's 
credit  at  the  Bank  of  England,  the  amount  immediately 
transferred  to  the  Horton  account  at  the  Continental  Bank 
by  means  of  Warren  checks  —  I  had  Noyes  reduce  the  latter 
account  by  drawing  out  Bank  of  England  notes.  These  were 
taken  to  the  bank  and  exchanged  for  gold,  which  was  deliv- 


204  $50,000  FER  BAY. 

ered  in  sealed  bags  of  ^1,000  each,  and  immediately  carried 
back  and  exchanged  for  notes  by  another  person.  The  object 
of  this  double  exchange  was  to  break  the  connection,  it  being 
obligatory  that  a  list  of  the  numbers  of  all  notes  paid  out,  and 
to  whom,  must  be  preserved  by  bankers  and  other  dealers. 
Even  when  passed  from  hand  to  hand,  the  person  who  pays 
out  a  note  must  endorse  on  the  back  of  it  his  or  her  name 
and  address,  and  this  notwithstanding  that  they  are  made  pay- 
able "to  bearer"  exactly  like  "greenbacks."  And,  indeed, 
the  disposal  of  so  much  gold  without  attracting  notice  was 
one  of  my  chief  anxieties  —  in  fact,  I  found  there  was  such  a 
thing  as  having  too  much  of  that  useful  metal.  The  reader 
may  realize  this  fact  when  I  state  that  while  the  "  business  " 
was  in  operation  our  "  income "  was  at  times  more  than 
$50,000  per  day. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  relating,  right  here,  an  incident  which 
illustrates  the  folly  of  "  crowing  before  one  is  out  of  the 
woods,"  or  "  counting  chickens  before  they  are  hatched." 

One  evening  in  January,  while  the  "  fraud  machine  "  was 
in  full  operation,  three  stylishly  dressed  young  men  met  in  a 
private  parlor  of  the  St.  James  Hotel,  Piccadilly.  Two  of 
them  appeared  to  be  in  high  spirits  —  perhaps  possessed  by 
evil  spirits,  whom  spirits  of  another  kind  might  conciliate — 
and  one  of  the  party  called  for  a  bottle  of  "  Vueve  Cliquot"  in 
honor  of  the  occasion,  the  "  golden  calf  "  having  been  worshiped 
that  day  to  the  jingle  of  many  bags  of  sovereigns.  The  elder 
of  the  trio  was  in  a  pensive  mood,  and  was  rallied  by  his  hila- 
rious companions  for  his  taciturnity,  which  became  more 
marked  as  their  merriment  increased.  They  saw  themselves 
safely  back  in  America,  the  possessors  of  fortunes,  however 
wrongfully  obtained,  yet  obtained  in  a  way  that  would  leave 
behind  no  ruined  widows  and  orphans  to  linger  out  the 
remainder  of  their  blighted  lives  in  poverty.  That  was  a 
point  which  added  zest  to  their  enjoyment  of  the  prospect. 
Being  obtained  from  an  institution,  into  whose  impregnable 
vaults  flowed  the  wealth  of  the  world,  was  a  source  of  inex- 


THE  ELDER  ROBBER  SPEAKS.  205 

pressible  satisfaction  to  those  gentlemanly  appearing  robbers. 
At  last  the  elder  could  endure  the  situation  no  longer,  and 
addressed  the  party  very  much  as  follows : 

"  Well,  my  friends,  you  believe  that  nothing  can  happen 
to  hinder  the  full  realization  of  your  hopes,  and  that  you 
are  as  safe  as  if  you  were  already  off  for  America ;  but  I 
advise  you  to  moderate  your  ardor  and  not  be  too  sanguine  — 
too  certain.  It  is  true  that  everything  is  so  arranged,  works 
so  smoothly,  and  ourselves  shrouded  in  so  dense  a  fog — a 
London  fog — of  mystery,  that,  even  in  case  of  a  premature 
discovery,  they  may  not  be  able  to  reach  us  or  get  a  clue  to 
our  personality. 

"  It  appears  as  if  the  bank  managers  had  heaped  a  mountain 
of  gold  out  in  the  street,  and  had  put  up  a  notice,  '  Please  do 
not  touch  this,'  and  then  had  left  it  unguarded  with  the  guile- 
less confidingness  of  an  Arcadian.  Who  could  ever  have 
imagined  they  would  have  left  such  an  open  path  to  their 
bags  of  gold  ?  Thousands  of  Englishmen  have  gone  out  to 
India  to  '  shake  the  Banyan  tree,'  but  this  beats  that  '  legal ' 
way  of  '  making'  a  fortune  out  of  sight.  Despite  the  smooth 
surface,  I  have  a  foreboding-  that  Aeolus  is  brooding  a  storm 
that  may  send  our  gold-laden  bark  among  the  rocks,  and  our- 
selves with  it.  Negligence  or  accident  will  beat  the  '  best  laid 
plans,'  and  we  shall  have  the  greatest  success  or  the  most 
terrible  disaster  possible.  Let  us  do  no  more  crowing  until 
we  are  out  of  the  woods." 

With  these  words  the  speaker  relapsed  into  his  thoughtful 
mood,  and  soon  after  departed,  leaving  his  goblet  of  Yueve 
Cliquot  untasted. 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  a  truly  laughable  incident 
occurred.  During  our  stay  in  London,  it  was  frequently 
remarked  that  McDonald  bore  a  strong  general  resemblance 
to  the  Prince  of  Wales.  One  afternoon  Mac  and  I  were 
sauntering  past  the  "  Horse-Guards,"  and  as  soon  as  the  mag- 
nificent sentry  (placed  on  horseback  in  the  gateway)  saw  us, 
he  brought  his  sword  to  the  salute  and  kept  it  there  until  Ave 


206  THE   VERY  LAST  LOT. 

were  past.  Exactly  who  he  took  me  for  has  ever  since  been 
—  not  a  casus  belli  —  but  a  subject  of  curious  cogitations  — 
especially  when  in  prison,  writing  petitions  to  the  Home  Office 
for  my  release  —  whether  I  should  not  refer  the  secretary  of 
State  to  the  sentry,  in  order  to  prove  satisfactorily  that  I 
was  a  "  somebody." 

On  the  27th  day  of  February  my  associate  and  myself 
had  a  consultation  as  to  whether  we  should  stop  with  what 
we  had,  or  put  in  one  more  batch  of  bills.  It  was  finally 
decided  to  put  in  another,  and  the  very  last  lot.  In  thus  tak- 
ing the  pitcher  once  too  often  to  the  well,  too  little  account 
was  taken  of  two  all-important  points  —  neglect  of  business 
and  the  possibility  of  accidents,  the  latter,  of  course,  usu- 
ally arising  out  of  the  former.  Early  the  next  day  I  posted 
in  Birmingham  to  the  Bank  more  than  $100,000  in  false  bills, 
congratulating  myself  that  the  affair  was  so  nearly  finished, 
and  that  the  next  day  I  should  be  off  for  America.  When 
these  bills  were  mailed  the  balance  in  both  banks  had  been 
reduced  to  less  than  a  thousand  pounds. 

Remaining  in  Birmingham,  early  the  next  morning  I  sent 
a  cabman  to  the  post-office  with  an  order  for  letters  addressed 
to  Warren,  and  kept  a  watch  on  him  to  see  if  he  was  followed 
from  the  office.  After  satisfying  myself  that  he  was  not  being 
"  shadowed,"  I  got  from  him  the  letter,  which  was  from  Mr. 
Francis,  stating  that  the  bills  had  been  received,  discounted, 
and  the  proceeds  placed  to  the  credit  of  the  Warren  account. 
Of  course,  this  was  the  last  of  a  number  of  letters  from  Mr. 
Francis,  which  had  been  received  by  me  during  the  progress 
of  the  affair,  and  as  each  came  to  hand  I  could  not  repress  a 
feeling  of  regret  that  by  the  irony  of  fate  I  seemed  destined, 
in  the  execution  of  "  speculations,"  to  abuse  the  confidence  of 
some  of  the  best  of  men.  The  fact  that,  as  in  the  present 
instance,  I  was  taking  no  advantage  of  facilities  afforded  by  a 
position  of  trust  —  Mr.  Francis  never  having  seen  me — was 
the  excuse  with  which  I  had  always,  in  such  cases,  tried  to 
salve  my  conscience. 


FEELING  OF  THE  BANK. 


207 


The  letter  in  question  satisfied  me  that  our  false  bills  had 
gone  through  the  mill,  and  would  be  laid  away  in  the  vaults 
of  the  bank  to  be  forgotten  until  they  should  become  due 
two  months  later  ;  and  thus  it  would  have  been,  but  for  an 
unforeseen  occurrence  to  be  related  shortly.  I  hurried 
to  the  station,  and  taking  a  train  arrived  in  London  bv  the 


garraway's. 

time  the  banks  were  open  for  business.  In  order  to  be 
certain  that  all  was  right  before  sending  Noyes  into  the  Con- 
tinental Bank,  I  gave  him  a  check  for  a  small  amount,  which 
he  sent  in  by  a  commissioner  for  collection,  with  order  to 
bring  the  money  to  him  at  the  Cannon  Street  Hotel.     I  took 


208  ^^  ANCIENT  HOSTEL. 

care  to  be  in  the  bank  when  he  arrived,  that  I  might  see  what 
passed.  The  check  was  paid  without  demur,  and  he  left  the 
bank,  I  keeping  him  in  view  until  he  had  passed  the  public 
house  where  Noyes  was  waiting  for  me.  I  hastened  in  and 
told  him  to  go  and  get  the  money  from  the  commissioner, 
which  he  did,  then  come  to  meet  me  at  Garraway's,  our  usual 
place  of  rendezvous.  Inasmuch  as  many  generations  of  all 
nations  visiting  London,  have  been  accustomed  to  resort  to 
Garraway's  coffee-house,  for  pleasure  or  business  purposes, 
and  as  it  was  closed  for  the  last  time  on  Saturda}^,  August 
11,  1876,  a  picture  of  this  celebrated  place  may  be  of  interest 
to  the  reader. 

At  the  time  of  the  "  South-Sea  bubble,"  Dean  Swift  wrote 
the  following  lines  regarding  the  brokers  and  their  victims, 
the  speculators,  who  were  accustomed  to  congregate  at 
Garraway's  : 

There  is  a  gulf  where  thousands  fell, 
Here  all  the  bold  adventurers  came,  . 

A  narrow  sound,  though  deep  as  hell  -i— 
Change-alley  is  the  dreadful  name.' 

Subscribers  here  by  thousands  float, 

And  jostle  one  another  down, 
Each  paddling  in'  his  leaky  boat, 

And  here  they  fish  for  gold  and  drown. 

*  #  *  * 

Meantime,  secure  on  Garway  cliffs, 

A  savage  race,  by  shipwrecks  fed. 
Lie  waiting  for  the  founder'd  skiffs, 

And  strip  the  bodies  of  the  dead. 

Dr.  Radcliffe,  a  celebrated  character,  was  a  rash  specula- 
tor in  the  South-Sea  scheme,  and  could  always  be  found  dur- 
ing business  hours  planted  at  a  table,  to  watch  the  turns  of 
the  share  market,  and  to  receive  his  patients,  as  was  the 
custom  in  the  last  century  with  coffee-houses  in  general. 
One  day  he  had  invested  five  thousand  guineas  in  one  project, 
and  upon  being  informed    that  he  had  lost  it  all,  replied: 


''CHOPS  AND  TOMATO  SAUCE.'' 


209 


"  Why,  'tis  but  going  up  five  thousand  pairs  of  stairs  more." 
"  This  answer,"  says  Sydney  Smith,  "  deserves  a  statue." 

Coming  down  to  later  times,  we  find  in  Dickens's  "  Pick- 
wick Club,"  Avhere  Sergeant  Buzfuz,  in  the  case  of  Bardell  vs, 
Pickwick,  quotes  the  following  letter : 

Garra way's,  twelve  o'clock. 
Dear  Mrs.  B.  :  —  Chops  and  tomato  sauce. 

Yours,  Pickwick. 

As  some  of  my  readers  may  be  in  a  Pickwickian  state  of 
mind  on  the  food  question,  I  will  reserve  the  account  of  the 
discovery  of  the  great  fraud,  and  the  arrest  of  Noyes,  for  the 
next  chapter. 


14 


Chapter  XXI. 


THE  FRAUD  DISCOVERED  —NOTES  ARRESTED  —  A  CLEARANCE  —  AN  IMPORTANT 
PIECE  OF  BLOTTING  PAPER  —  FLIGHT  OF  MCDONALD  —  EXAMINATION  OF  NOTES 
AT  THE  MANSION  HOUSE  BEFORE  LORD  M ATOR  WATERLOW  —  THE  BANK  SOLICI- 
TOR, C.  K.  FRESHFIELD,  M.  P.  —  DR.  KENEALT. 

IT  appears  that  when  the  last  lot  of  bills  arrived  from 
Birmingham  they  were  handed  by  the  manager,  as  usual, 
to  a  clerk  whose  duty  it  was  to  look  over  and  enter  them  in 
the  books.  In  running  them  over,  he  threw  out  two  on 
which  the  date  of  the  acceptance  had  not  been  put.  Suppos- 
ing this  to  have  been  an  oversight  of  the  acceptors,  no  notice 
was  taken  of  the  irregularity  beyond  laying  the  bills  aside, 
that  the  supposed  neglect  might  be  rectified.  Accordingly,  on 
the  morning  of  the  1st  of  March,  1873,  the  bills  were  sent  to 
B.  W.  Blydenstein  (the  supposed  acceptor),  and  were  at  once 
declared  to  be  forgeries.  Instant  measures  were  taken  to 
arrest  the  perpetrators.  This  occurred  just  after  we  had  sent 
the  commissioner  with  a  Horton  check  as  related  in  the  last 
chapter. 

Upon  meeting  Noyes  at  Garraway's  I  gave  him  Warren 
checks  for  seventy-five  thousand  dollars,  with  which  he  pur- 
chased United  States  bonds  from  Messrs.  Jay  Cooke  &  Co.  I 
also  gave  him  about  thirty  thousand  dollars  in  Warren  checks 
to  deposit  to  the  credit  of  the  Horton  account.  After  hav- 
ing accomplished  that  business,  it  only  remained  for  him  to 
withdraw  the  money  from  the  Horton  account,  which  would 
finish,  and  we  be  ready  to  leave  the  country  with  our  booty. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  would  end  my  anxieties ! 

It  had  been  my  intention  to  send  a  commissioner  to  draw 
the  monev,  so  that  in  the  apparently  impossible  case  of  a  dis- 

(210) 


THE  TROUBLE  COMMENCES.  211 

covery  Nojes  would  be  safe  from  arrest.  Should  there  be  a 
premature  "  tumble  "  and  we  become  aware  of  it  in  time,  we 
could  easily  get  him  out  of  the  country  —  he  being  the  only 
one  who  was  known  to  the  bankers.  But  having  just  visited 
Jay  Cooke  &,  Co.  and  the  Continental  Bank,  he  justly  felt  cer- 
tain that  all  was  right,  and  thought  it  would  be  best,  and 
quite  safe,  for  him  to  go  and  do  the  business  in  person  instead 
of  sending  a  commissioner. 

We  had  previously  sent  commissioners  for  large  sums  in 
bonds,  etc. ;  but  in  such  cases  they  had  acted  only  as  mes- 
sengers, not  knowing  the  value  of  the  packages  they  carried. 
The  checks  we  had  sent  by  them  were  for  small  sums,  and 
now  to  send  one  to  draw  $30,000  might  cause  inquiry  at  the 
Continental  Bank.  For  these  reasons  I  concluded  to  let 
Noyes  have  his  own  way.  Had  I  known  what  was  at  that 
moment  passing  not  a  stone's  throw  from  where  we  sat  in 
Garraway's,  my  thoughts  would  have  been  of  quite  a  different 
nature.  After  the  discovery,  as  related,  the  telegraph  was 
set  to  work,  and  detectives  procured  from  the  Bow  Street 
police  station,  which  was  but  a  short  distance  from  where  we 
sat  discussing  our  next  and  last  move  —  the  last  indeed ! 
They  went  to  the  Continental,  H  or  ton's  bank,  and  waited  to 
meet  Noyes  as  he  came  in  about  one  o'clock  p.  m.  to  draw  the 
money.  He  w^as  arrested  and  taken  to  Bow  Street  station, 
the  party  passing  close  by  me  on  the  way,  of  course  neither 
Noyes  or  I  taking  any  notice  of  each  other.  As  I  had  fore- 
seen and  provided  for  this  possible  contingency,  the  occur- 
rence did  not  alarm  me,  for  I  knew  that  if  all  my  precautions 
had  been  lived  up  to,  no  harm  beyond  temporary  inconvenience 
could  come  to  Noyes,  and  not  the  slightest  clue  be  obtained 
to  connect  Mac  or  myself  with  the  fraud.  Austin,  the  only 
other  one  known  to  the  bankers,  was,  as  I  supposed,  safe 
in  the  United  States  ;  therefore,  as  I  felt  secure  that  no  infor- 
mation would  be  got  out  of  Noyes,  all  we  had  to  do  was  to  lie 
quietly  in  London  until  the  furore  of  excitement  was  a  little 
cooled,  and  then  to  make  our  way  out  of  the  country  at  our 


212  ^N  ILL-TIMED  REMOVAL. 

leisure.  Nothwithstanding  these  seemingly  impregnable 
plans  and  precautions,  and  as  a  striking  example  of  how 
crime  comes  to  light,  it  will  be  interesting  to  have  the  causes 
which  nullified  the  execution  of  the  ideas  outlined  in  the  last 
sentence. 

During  the  operation  Mac  occupied  lodgings  in  an  aristo- 
cratic quarter,  St.  James  Place,  Piccadilly.  There  all  the  bills 
were  made.  When  the  last  lot  was  ready,  I  made  away  with 
and  destroyed  by  burning  or  otherwise,  the  articles  used  in 
their  manufacture. 

As  soon  as  Noyes  was  arrested,  I  went  to  Mac's  rooms  and 
made  a  clearance.  As  I  was  about  to  put  all  the  waste 
papers  in  the  fire  Mac  said  he  had  some  letters  to  write  and 
asked  me  to  leave  a  piece  of  blotting  paper.  I  selected  a 
piece  that  appeared  not  to  have  been  used  and  laid  it  aside  for 
him  —  a  fatal  concession,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  account  of  the 
trial,  showing  what  telling  use  was  made  of  it.  I  was  less 
particular  in  the  clearance  because  when  I  represented  to  him 
the  danger  of  an  American  moving  from  his  lodgings  at  such 
a  juncture,  he  agreed  to  remain  quietly  there.  Then  judge  of 
my  astonishment  later  in  the  day,  when  he  said  to  me  at  Gar- 
raway's :  "  Well,  I've  got  all  my  things  out  of  that  place, 
anyway."  It  was  too  late  to  repair  so  false  a  step,  and  he 
assured  me  that  he  had  not  left  a  scrap  of  paper  behind.  Sub- 
sequent events  showed  that  his  landlady  saw  in  a  paper  an 
account  of  the  forgery  and  arrest  of  Noyes,  and  coupling  it 
with  her  lodger's  precipitate  flight  —  he  having  previously 
given  no  notice  of  his  intention  to  leave  —  her  suspicions  were 
aroused ;  she  went  directly  to  the  rooms  and  gathered  up 
every  loose  bit  of  paper  she  could  find,  among  which  the  only 
thing  that  proved  of  special  value  was  the  piece  of  blotting 
paper,  and  sent  word  to  the  police  station. 

Mac  paid  the  penalty  of  this  thoughtless  act  as  this  piece  of 
blotter  proved  to  be  the  principal,  if  not  the  only  direct  link, 
which  connected  him  with  the  forgery. 

I  had  occasion  to  part  from  Mac  for  an  hour,  and  on  my 


MACS  FLIGHT, 


213 


return  at  about  six  p.  m.,  found  a  note  written  by  him,  stating 
that  he  had  just  time  to  catch  the  last  evening  train  for  Dover. 
He  really  went  to  Liverpool ;  but  becoming  suspicious,  doubled 
on  the  police,  ran  to  Chester,  from  there  crossed  the  country 
by  way  of  Taunton  to  Southampton,  crossed  to  Havre,  from 
which  place  he  managed  to  get  on  board  the  steamship 
Thuringia^  and  sailed  for  New  York. 


MANSION    HOUSE,    ILLUMINATED. 


This  unexpected  departure  disconcerted  my  plans  com- 
pletely. The  effect  it  had  on  my  future  proceedings  will  be 
detailed  in  the  chapters  relating  to  my  flight  through  Ireland, 
and  beyond. 


214 


NOTES  BEFORE   THE  LORD  MAYOR. 


The  following  regarding  the  discovery  of  the  fraud,  arrest, 
and  examination  of  Noyes,  is  compiled  from  reliable  sources. 
It  was  on  Saturday,  March  1,  1873,  that  Noyes  was 
arrested  and  taken  to  the  Mansion  House.  The  ordinary 
business  of  the  day  had  concluded  at  twelve  o'clock,  but 
about  two  o'clock  Noyes  was  brought  to  the  bar  on  the  charge 
of  having  been  concerned  in  the  forgeries  in  question. 

The  Lord  Mayor  Waterlow  had  not  then  taken  his  seat, 
and  few  people  were  present,  except  the  officers  and  a  few 
stragglers.  On  the  Lord  Mayor  taking  his  seat,  he  stated 
that  there  were  reasons  for  hearing  the  charge  in  private,  and 

he  therefore  re- 
quested, under  a 
power  given  him 
by  statute,  that 
everyone  not  con- 
nected with  the 
case  would  retire 
from  court.  Upon 
this  the  reporters, 
for  whom  the  inti- 
mation seemed  spe- 
cially intended, 
withdrew  in  a  body. 
The  charge  was 
then  proceeded 
with,  and  sufficient 
evidence  was  pro- 
duced  by  the 
Messrs.  Freshfield, 
who  appeared  on  the  part  of  the  Bank  of  England,  to  warrant 
the  Lord  Mayor  in  remanding  the  prisoner  until  the  next  Fri- 
day, when  the  evidence  taken  at  the  first  hearing  was  allowed 
to  transpire  without  reservation  of  any  kind  as  part  of  the  case 
for  the  prosecution,  and  the  prisoner's  counsel  had  opportu- 
nities offered  him  of  cross-examining  witnesses  who  had  given 


C.    K.    FRESHFIELD,    M.    P., 
SOLICITOR  TO  THE  BANK  OF  ENGLAND  IN  1873. 


THE  EXAMINATION. 


215 


ft.  A  contemporary  account  states  that  since  his  arrest  a 
week  previously  he  had  much  altered  in  appearance  for  the 
worse ;  and  throughout  the  protracted  examination  of  March 
7th,  he  seemed  anxious  and  dejected. 

The  Lord  Mayor  took  his  seat  in  the  justice-room  at 
twelve  o'clock,  and  on  that  date  the  prisoner  was  put  to  the 
bar.  Mr.  Freshfield,  the  solicitor  to  the  bank,  attended  to 
conduct  the  prosecution  on  the  part  of  the  Governor  and  Com- 
pany ;  the  prisoner  was  defended  by  Dr.  Kenealy,  Q.  C. 

Mr.  Alfred  D.  Rothschild,  one  of  the  directors  of  the  bank, 
occupied  a  seat  on  the  bench.  Mr.  Frank  May,  the  deputy 
cashier  of  the  Bank  of  England,  said  that  from  inquiries 
he  found  that  some  portions  of  the  proceeds  of  the  forged 
bills  had  been  paid  into  the  Continental  Bank  in  Lombard 
Street,  and  in  consequence  he  went  to  that  bank  on  Satur- 
day to  obtain  further  information.  He  there  saw  the  pris- 
oner, and  gave  him  into 
custody. 

He  asked  the  manager 
of  the  Continental  Bank,  in 
the  prisoner's  presence,  if 
the  prisoner  was  Mr.  Hor- 
ton's  clerk,  and  he  replied  in 
the  affirmative.  The  pris- 
oner then  said,  "  Why  are 
you  giving  me  into  cus- 
tody?" Witness  told  him 
that  he  came  from  the  Bank 
of  England  and  he  charged 
him  with  fraud. 

Mr.  Richard  Amery, 
ledger-keeper  at  the  Con- 
tinental Bank,  said  he  knew  the  prisoner  by  the  name  of 
Edwin  Noyes.  He  also  knew  a  Mr.  C.  J.  Horton.  who  had 
an  account  at  the  bank.  The  prisoner  was  in  the  habit  of 
bringing  cash  to  be  paid  to  Mr.  Horton's  credit,  and  also  of 
presenting  Horton's  checks  to  be  cashed. 


DR.    KENEALY. 


216  ^^^S  AND   CONS. 

In  reply  to  Dr.  Kenealy,  the  witness,  Mr.  Amery,  said  he 
only  knew  the  prisoner  as  Horton's  clerk,  and  as  either  paying 
in  oj  cashing  checks  on  his  account ;  and  Col.  Francis  stated 
that  he  never  saw  the  prisoner  until  the  day  upon  which  he 
was  given  into  custody.  Dr.  Kenealy,  addressing  the  bench, 
said  he  wanted  to  know  with  what  offense  Mr.  Noyes,  the 
prisoner,  was  charged.  Mr.  Oke,  the  chief  clerk  to  the  Lord 
Mayor,  replied  that  he  was  charged  with  fraudulently  obtain- 
ing ^4,500  by  means  of  documents  alleged  to  have  been 
forged,  and  by  conspiring  with  other  persons,  at  present 
unknown,  with  intent  to  defraud  the  Governor  and  Company 
of  the  Bank  of  England.  A  letter  was  about  to  be  read,  upon 
which  Dr.  Kenealy  objected  unless  there  was  evidence  to  show 
that  it  had  been  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  Mr.  Noyes.  Mr. 
Freshfield  said  it  was  an  act  on  the  part  of  a  co-conspirator. 
Dr.  Kenealy  submitted  that  the  prosecution  must  first  estab- 
lish a  conspiracy.  On  the  occasion  when  the  prisoner  was 
first  brought  before  the  court  he  understood  the  case  against 
him  was  heard  in  camera.  He  protested  against  such  a 
course  being  resorted  to  while  trying  a  man  upon  a  criminal 
charge.  They  were  not  going  to  have  the  Inquisition  in  this 
country,  and  he  submitted  that  the  trying  a  prisoner  in  camera 
was  a  relic  of  the  Inquisition.  The  Lord  Mayor  explained 
that  in  the  exercise  of  his  discretion,  and  availing  himself  of 
the  power  given  him  as  a  magistrate  under  Jervis's  act,  he 
had  decided  that  the  preliminary  investigation  should  be  heard 
in  private.  The  prisoner  had  then  been  in  custody  only  a  few 
hours ;  there  was  at  that  time  reason  to  believe  that  an  enor- 
mous fraud  had  been  committed,  and  that  the  ends  of  justice 
might  be  frustrated  if  the  circumstances  were  made  public 
at  the  first  hearing.  He  had  exercised  his  discretion  in  the 
matter,  the  prisoner's  counsel  had  since  heard  the  evidence 
taken  on  the  first  occasion  and  was  now  in  a  position  to 
appreciate  and  use  it.  Although  the  prisoner  was  not  repre- 
sented by  a  counsel  on  the  first  occasion,  the  Lord  Mayor 
took  good  care  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  to  see  that  he  was 


HORTON'S   CLERK.  217 

in  no  way  prejudiced  by  the  manner  in  which  the  investiga- 
tion was  conducted.  He  would  be  ultimately  charged  with 
conspiring  with  one  Horton,  otherwise  Warren.  Dr.  Kenealy 
replied,  that  according  to  that  theory  any  merchant's  clerk  in 
the  city  of  London  might  any  day  be  subjected  to  the  same 
treatment  that  Mr.  Noyes  had  experienced. 

He  protested  against  it  until  a  conspiracy  had  been  estab- 
lished between  Noyes  and  Warren.  Mr.  Noyes,  in  the  trans- 
actions in  question,  had  done  nothing  more  than  cash  genuine 
checks  for  his  master,  and  why  he  should  be  assumed  to  have 
been  concerned  in  a  forgery  he  was  at  a  loss  to  understand. 
The  Lord  Mayor  said  it  was  clear  by  the  evidence  that  he  had 
cashed  checks  which  were  the  products  of  those  forgeries. 

Jonathan  Pope,  a  city  policeman,  spoke  as  to  the  prisoner 
having  been  given  into  his  custody  on  Saturday  preceding  at 
the  Continental  Bank,  and  to  finding  upon  him  at  the  police 
station  an  open  check  for  £100,  drawn  by  Horton  on  the  Con- 
tinental Bank,  two  bank-notes  for  XlOO  and  £10  in  gold,  a 
gold  watch  and  chain,  a  diamond  ring,  and  a  number  of 
memoranda. 

Detective  Sargeant  Spittle,  who  was  recalled  by  Dr. 
Kenealy,  said  he  had  looked  over  the  papers  found  upon  the 
prisoner,  and  among  them  was  an  agreement  entered  into 
in  January  between  him  and  Horton,  by  which  he  became 
Horton's  clerk  and  manager  at  a  salary  of  £100  a  year.  He 
appeared  to  have  paid  £300  to  Horton  as  a  premium.  He 
also  found  a  number  of  letters  addressed  to  the  prisoner  and 
referring  to  an  advertisement  for  a  clerk's  situation  which  he 
had  inserted  in  the  daily  Telegraph.  There  were  likewise 
among  the  papers  several  letters  important  to  the  prisoner. 
In  one  of  these  letters  referred  to  by  the  witness,  dated  the 
28th  of  January,  Horton  told  the  prisoner  to  give  up  his  room 
at  the  Bridge-House  Hotel  and  to  take  another  on  the  first 
floor  at  the  Cannon  Street  Hotel,  and  advised  him  to  obtain  a 
trusty  porter  whom  he  could  send  with  deposits  to  the  banks, 
and  with  stocks  or  bonds  to  the  offices  of  Messrs.  Jay  Cooke 


218 


LETTERS. 


&,  Co.  and  Messrs.  Clews,  Habicht  k  Co.  He  added  that  as 
soon  as  he  got  settled  in  his  chambers  he  would  engage 
another  clerk  so  that  he  (Noyes)  should  not  have  so  much 
running  about.     Another  letter  was  as  follows  : 

London. 
E.  Noyes,  Esq.: 

Dear  Sir  :  —  I  shall  be  unable  to  come  to  the  office  to-morrow 
as  I  shall  be  very  busy  at  the  West  End,  and  will  not  be  able  to 
come  as  far  as  London  Bridge,  so  yon  can  go  on  with  the  business 
just  as  1  told  you,  and  do  not  fail  to  collect  the  money  and  bring  it 
with  you  to  Broad  Street  station  at  three  o'clock,  and  meet  me  in 
the  first-class  waiting  room,  or  down  at  the  ticket  office  at  the  foot 
of  the  stairs.      I  will  then  give  you  further   instructions. 

I  am  yours,  etc., 

C.  J.  HORTON. 

All  the  above  devices  and  documents  were  pre-arranged  by 
me  for  just  the  emergency  in  which  Noyes  then  found  him- 
self, and  they  would  have  proved  ample  to  protect  him,  had 
no  others  of  the  party  been  arrested  —  our  arrest  affording  the 
opportunity  to  prove  previous  acquaintance. 

At  this  stage  Mr.  Freshfield  applied  to  the  bench  to  have 
the  prisoner  remanded  for  a  week.  The  evidence  he  said, 
went  to  show  that  he  had  been  dealing  with  very  large  sums 
of  money  and  acting  almost  in  the  character  of  a  principal, 
certainly  in  that  of  an  accomplice.  Dr.  Kenealy  submitted 
there  was  no  evidence  whatever  against  Mr.  Noyes,  and  that 
the  Lord  Mayor  was  bound  to  dismiss  him.  There  was  no 
proof  that  Warren  and  Horton  were  the  same  person.  It  was 
impossible  to  come  to  any  other  conclusion  than  that  they 
were  distinct.  There  was  evidence  that  Noyes  was  a  clerk  to 
Horton  and  that  he  was  never  seen  in  the  branch  Bank  of 
England  at  the  West  End.  The  only  person  who  spoke  of 
seeing  the  prisoner  was  a  clerk  of  the  Messrs.  McCulloch,  and 
that  was  at  their  place  of  business.  What  had  Mr.  Noyes 
done  more  than  any  clerk  of  a  merchant  in  the  city  ?  It 
might  be  assumed  that  bills  proved  afterward  to  be  forgeries 
often  passed  through  the  hands  of  innocent  people  who  had  no 


REMANDED   TO  NEWGATE.  219 

knowledge  of  the  risk  they  run.  The  learned  counsel  dwelt 
upon  the  circumstances  as  proved  by  papers  found  upon  him, 
that  Noyes  had  advertised  for  a  situation  as  clerk  on  coming 
to  this  country  from  America,  in  December  last,  and  that  he 
had  no  previous  acquaintance  with  Horton.  Was  it  likely 
that  if  Horton  was  about  to  embark  in  a  gigantic  fraud  he 
would  take  a  perfect  stranger  into  his  confidence  ?  Dealing 
with  the  evidence  as  it  stood,  he  submitted  there  was  only  one 
transaction  between  them  and  that  was  not  of  a  nature  to 
justify  his  detention.  Mr.  Freshfield  said  Dr.  Kenealy  m.ust 
not  assume  that  he  agreed  with  him  in  that  at  all.  The  Lord 
Mayor  said,  looking  at  the  evidence  as  it  stood,  he  could  not 
take  any  other  course  than  remand  the  prisoner,  having 
regard  to  the  circumstance  that  he  was  found  dealing  on  one 
day  with  money  amounting  to  £  22,000,  the  produce  of  forged 
bills,  and  that  a  letter  was  found  upon  him  asking  him  to 
bring  the  money  to  a  person  whom  he  would  find  in  the  first- 
class  waiting-room  at  a  railway  station.  He  could  not  come 
to  any  other  conclusion  than  that  the  prisoner  must  have 
known  the  moneys  with  which  he  was  dealing  had  been 
acquired  by  unlawful  means.  He  remanded  him  until  that 
day  week  to  his  old  quarters  in  Newgate. 


Chapter  XXI  L 


HUNTED  THROUGH  IRELAND  —  $2,500  REWARD  FOR  MY  CAPTURE  —  DETECTIVES 
"spot  "  ME  AT  THE  CORK  RAILWAY  STATION  —  OBLIGED  TO  ABANDON  TAKING 
PASSAGE  BY  THE  ILL-FATED  ATLANTIC  —  A  GAME  OF  "  HARE  AND  HOUNDS  "  — 
ELUDING  A  DETECTIVE  "TRAP" — ENGLISH  MISRULE  IN  IRELAND — AM  TAKEN 
FOR  A  PRIEST  —  A  TYPOGRAPHICAL  THUNDERBOLT  AT  LISMORE — AN  EARLY 
MORNING  WALK  —  A  RIDE  ON  AN  IRISH  JAUNTING-CAR  — "  ON  THE  ROAD  TO 
CLONMEL"  —  SHELTER  IN  A  "  SHEBEEN  "  —  HOW  THIRSTY  SOULS  GET  THE 
"CRAYTHUR"  in  IRELAND  —  A  GOOD  OLD  IRISH  LADY — PURSUIT,  AND  REFUGE 
IN  A  RUINED  COTTAGE  AT  CAHIR. 

"TTTITHOUT  the  remotest  suspicion  that  my  right  name 
V  V  was  known,  or  that  anything  had  been  discovered  to 
show  my  connection  with  the  fraud,  I  resolved  to  take  the 
steamer  Atlantic  of  the  White  Star  Line,  at  Queenstown,  for 
New  York.  Knowing  that  all  the  railway  stations  in  London 
were  being  watched,  and  that  any  man  buying  a  ticket  for 
America  might  have  to  give  an  account  of  himself,  I  sent  a 
porter  to  purchase  a  ticket  for  Dublin  via  Holyhead.  I  in- 
tended taking  the  9  p.  m.  mail  train,  and,  as  a  precaution,  I 
waited  until  the  last  moment,  after  the  passengers  Avere  on 
board  and  the  waiting-room  doors  shut.  As  the  mail  was 
being  transferred  from  the  wagons  to  the  train,  I  took  the 
opportunity  to  walk  through  the  big  gate  unobserved  amid 
the  rush  and  confusion.  The  car  doors  were  all  locked,  but 
on  showing  my  ticket  to  a  guard  (conductor)  he  let  me  into 
a  compartment,  no  doubt  supposing  that  I  had  obtained 
admission  to  the  station  from  the  waiting-room  and  had  been 
loitering  about.  The  same  was  probably  the  case  with  the 
two  or  three  other  men  looking  out  of  the  waiting-room  win- 
dow at  the  platform,  whom  I  judged  to  be  detectives.  The 
train  rolled  out  of  the  station,  and  soon  I  was  leaving  London 

(220) 


ALMOST  ''CORKED^  221 

behind  at  the  rate  of  fifty  miles  an  hour.  After  midnight  we 
took  the  steamer  at  Holyhead  and  arrived  at  Dublin  about 
seven  a.  m.  I  should  not  have  felt  so  comfortable  throughout 
this  night's  journey  had  I  known  that  the  telegraph  was  flash- 
ing in  all  directions  : 

"£500  reward  for  the  capture  of  George  Bid  well,  who  is  sup- 
posed to  be  one  of  the  persons  engaged  in  the  great  bank  forgery. 
He  is  an  American,  about  forty  years  of  age,  of  dark  complexion, 
and  is  supposed  to  be  in  Ireland." 

A  whole  column  regarding  myself  and  my  transactions  was 
published  in  the  Dublin  papers  of  that  morning.  Not  suspect- 
ing they  contained  "news"  regarding  me,  I  neglected  pur- 
chasing one,  and  remaining  ignorant  of  my  imminent  danger, 
took  the  train  for  Cork,  where  I  arrived  about  four  p.  M.  I  had 
two  or  three  London  papers  of  the  previous  day  in  my  hand 
as  I  left  the  station.  I  had  never  been  in  Cork  until  then, 
and  as  I  passed  into  the  street  two  detectives,  who  were 
watching  the  passengers,  turned  and  followed  me.  A  few 
yards  from  the  station  one  of  them  stepped  up  by  my  side 
and  said : 

"  Have  you  ever  been  here  before  ?  " 

I  slightly  turned  my  head  toward  him,  gave  a  haughty 
glance  as  I  replied,  "Yes,"  —  then  looked  straight  ahead 
and  continued  my  slow  gait,  paying  no  further  attention  to 
him.  He  continued  walking  by  my  side  for  a  few  steps,  as  if 
irresolute,  then  dropped  to  the  rear,  rejoining  his  companion. 
I  did  not  dare  to  look  around,  or  make  inquiry  as  to  the 
location  of  the  wharf  from  which  the  tug-boat  started  to  con- 
vey mail  and  passengers  to  the  New  York  steamers,  which 
waited  in  the  outer  harbor.  Therefore  I  continued  my  walk 
along  what  appeared  to  be  the  main  business  street,  perhaps 
for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  then  turned  into  a  druggist's  and 
called  for  some  Spanish  licorice.  This  was  done  to  enable 
me  to  ascertain  if  the  detectives  were  still  following.  In  a 
moment  they  passed  the  shop  gazing  intently  in,  and  saw  me 
leaning  carelessly  against  the  counter  with  my  face  partially 


222  ^OT  BORN  TO  BE  DROWNED. 

turned  to  the  street.  As  soon  as  I  had  paid  for  the  licorice, 
I  continued  my  walk  in  the  same  direction,  but  saw  nothing 
of  the  men,  they  having  evidently  stopped  in  some  place  to 
let  me  get  ahead  once  more.  In  a  short  time  I  approached 
an  inclosure,  over  the  gate  of  which  was  a  sign  that  informed 
me  I  had  come  by  accident  direct  to  the  wharf  of  the  Xew 
York  steamers.  Entering  I  found  the  place  crowded,  and  the 
tug-boat  ready  to  convey  the  passengers  to  the  steamer  Atlan- 
tic. Before  attempting  to  step  aboard  the  tug  I  took  a  covert 
look  around  and  saw  my  two  detectives  standing  back  in  one 
corner  with  their  eyes  fixed  upon  me  all  but  their  heads  being 
concealed  behind  the  crowd  waiting  to  see  their  friends  off 
for  America.  Apparently  unconscious  of  their  presence,  I 
threw  my  papers,  one  by  one  down  among  the  passengers ; 
and  as  the  deck  of  the  boat  was  eight  or  ten  feet  below,  the 
detectives  could  not  see  to  whom  they  were  thrown.  I  stood 
leaning  on  the  rail  a  short  time  gazing  at  the  scene,  then  left 
the  wharf  not  even  glancing  in  the  direction  of  the  detectives. 
I  felt  that  any  attempt  of  mine  to  embark  would  precipitate 
their  movements,  therefore  I  at  once  abandoned  all  ideas  of 
taking  passage  from  Queenstown. 

Now  mark  the  irony  of  fate !  That  was  the  last  passage 
ever  made  by  the  magnificent  steamer  Atlantic  !  Some  mag- 
netic influence  deranged  her  compass  so  that  she  ran  twenty 
miles  out  of  her  course,  striking  on  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia, 
at  Meager's  Head,  Prospect  Harbor,  broke  in  two,  then  rolling 
into  deep  water,  sank  in  a  few  minutes.  Out  of  1002  persons 
on  board  560  perished,  including  most  of  the  saloon  passen- 
gers and  all  the  women  and  children.  The  elegant  cabins 
and  state-rooms  became  their  tombs  —  and  one  might  have 
been  mine.  But  not  for  me  such  favoring  fate  ;  a  moment's 
struggle  ended  their  sufferings,  while  I  was  left  to  undergo 
the  pangs  of  a  thousand  deaths ! 

I  continued  my  walk  up  a  hill  among  the  private  resi- 
dences of  the  city,  and  hailing  a  cab  told  the  driver  to  take 
me  back  to  the  station.     Eager  for  a  job,  he  asked  to  drive 


A  PRETTY  GIRL   SAYS   "NO."  223 

me  a  mile  beyond  on  the  railway.  Thinking  I  might  elude 
the  detectives  at  the  Queenstown  station,  I  acceded  and  he 
made  his  little  Irish  horse  rush  along  at  a  pace  which  brought 
us  to  the  stopping-place  just  before  the  train  arrived. 

I  purchased  a  ticket  and  hastened  into  a  carriage,  where, 
lo  and  behold  I  sat  the  two  detectives.  A  few  minutes  brought 
us  to  Cork  again.  I  was  not  yet  aware  they  were  in  possession 
of  my  right  name  and  the  knowledge  that  a  reward  of  five 
hundred  pounds  was  offered  for  my  capture,  nor  that  their 
hesitation  was  occasioned  by  doubts  as  to  my  identity,  which 
the  first  false  step  on  my  part  might  remove.  I  did  not  sup- 
pose they  were  looking  especially  for  me,  but  for  any  one  in 
general  whose  actions  and  appearance  might  indicate  that  he 
was  one  of  the  operators  in  the  bank  forgery.  Under  this 
erroneous  belief,  I  crossed  to  the  Dublin  station,  which  was  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  that  of  the  Cork  and  Queenstown,  to 
inquire  for  a  dispatch  that  I  expected  from  London  to  the 
name  of  Bodell.  When  I  stepped  up  to  the  telegraph-counter 
and  gave  the  name,  the  pretty  girl  in  charge  looked  at  me  in 
a  very  "  speaking  "  manner,  and  without  making  examination 
replied,  "No."  As  I  turned  away,  I  saw  my  two  detectives 
standing  at  the  other  side  of  the  room.  "  Well,"  I  thought 
to  myself,  "  this  is  very  strange ;  I  left  the  Queenstown  sta- 
tion ahead  of  them,  and  here  they  are  again,  all  alive."  I 
walked  away  into  the  most  thronged  streets  of  the  business 
part  of  the  city ;  turning  a  corner,  I  glanced  backwards  and 
saw  them  following  at  some  distance  in  the  rear.  As  soon 
as  I  had  fairly  turned  the  corner,  I  started  at  a  fast  walk, 
turning  the  next  before  they  came  in  view ;  and  after  three  or 
four  such  turnings  I  went  into  a  small  temperance  hotel  and 
took  lodgings  for  the  night.  There  was  but  a  single  com- 
mercial traveler  in  the  sitting-room — a  special  room  set  apart 
in  every  English  hotel,  sacred  to  the  "  drummer  "  fraternity. 
In  the  course  of  the  evening  he  handed  me  a  small  railway 
map  of  Ireland,  which,  in  my  subsequent  flight  through  the 
country,  proved  of  incalculable  service  to  me. 


224  ^  SCOTCH   CAP  AND  AN  IRISH  CAR. 

The  next  morning  I  went  out  and  purchased  a  hand-bag, 
a  Scotch  cap,  and  a  cheap,  frieze  ulster.  My  night's  cogita- 
tions had  not  enabled  me  to  solve  the  detective  problem,  but 
I  felt  confident  that  something  was  decidedly  wrong.  I  then 
hired  a  covered  cab,  driving  past  the  post-office  to  reconnoiter, 
and  saw  one  of  the  detectives  standing  in  the  door-way.  This 
sight  deterred  me  from  going  in  to  ask  for  a  letter.  Dismiss- 
ing my  cab,  I  took  another  and  drove  to  the  place  where  I 
had  made  my  purchases,  taking  them  into  the  cab,  and  going 
through  a  by -street  which  brought  me  close  to  my  hotel. 

From  the  commercial-room  in  the  second  floor  front,  I 
looked  out  and  marked  the  farthest  house  I  could  see  to  the 
left,  on  the  opposite  side.  Stepping  to  the  desk,  I  wrote  an 
order  directing  the  postmaster  to  deliver  any  letters  to  my 
(Bodell's)  address  to  the  bearer.  This  I  gave  to  a  cabman, 
instructing  him  to  drive  to  the  post-office  and  bring  my  mail 
to  the  house  I  had  marked,  returning  myself  to  the  commer- 
cial-room to  watch.  In  a  few  minutes  I  saw  the  cabman 
drive  to  the  house,  and  seeing  no  one  waiting  there,  he  turned 
and  drove  slowly  down  the  street  past  the  hotel,  holding  up 
at  arm's  length  a  letter  to  attract  my  notice  —  which  it  did  to 
my  two  detectives  walking  along  a  short  distance  behind  him, 
on  the  hotel  side  of  the  street,  with  noses  elevated  and  eyes 
peering  everywhere. 

"  Well,"  I  thought,  "  this  is  getting  to  be  hot,  and  it  is 
time  for  me  to  'skip'  Cork."  I  was  now  fully  aroused  to  a 
sense  of  my  danger.  No  one  happening  to  be  in  the  com- 
mercial-room for  the  moment,  I  left  my  hat  on  the  sofa,  and 
wearing  the  Scotch  cap,  slipped  downstairs  just  as  they  were 
past  the  hotel,  following  them  until  I  came  to  where  the  cab 
was  waiting  with  my  luggage.  I  ordered  the  driver  to  take 
me  to  a  canal-boat  wharf,  where  I  dismissed  him ;  then,  with 
bag  in  hand,  I  walked  across  the  canal  bridge,  stopped  in  a 
small  shop  and  hired  a  smaller  boy  to  go  for  a  jaunting-car, 
and  a  few  minutes  later  I  was  rolling  to  the  northward. 

On  the  road  1  threw  some  small  coins  to  poor-looking 


RESULTS    OF  ENGLISH   OPPRESSION.  225 

people,  who  then,  as  now,  comprised  among  their  numbers 
the  most  honest  patriots  and  the  truest-hearted  sons  of  Erin. 
While  gazing  upon  the  mud  huts  and  turf  cottages  which 
constituted,  Avith  but  few  exceptions,  the  abiding-places  of  a 
poverty-stricken  people,  I  could  not  help  apostrophizing  thus : 
''  To  what  a  state  of  degradation  has  not  English  misrule  and 
oppression,  long  continued,  brought  the  noble  Celtic  race  ? 
Doubtless  over  this  very  road  many  a  humble  Irish  peasant 
has  been  hunted  to  the  death  at  a  time  when  it  was  only 
necessary  for  his  English  murderer  to  offer  in  defense,  before 
a  jury  composed  of  his  own  countrymen,  that  he  had  only 
killed  an  Irishman;  where  life  was  no  more  valued  by  the 
English  of  that  time  than  are  now  the  lives  of  the  convicts 
in  the  English  prisons."  How  low  that  valuation  is  may  be 
judged  by  the  words  spoken  to  me  by  the  chief  warder  of 
Dartmoor  prison,  in  1877 :  "  We  think  no  more  of  killing  a 
convict  than  we  do  of  killing  a  dog;  indeed,  we  value  the  life 
of  a  ofood  doo:  above  that  of  a  convict." 

Seeing  me  throwing  the  pence  to  the  poor  folk,  cabby  took 
it  into  his  head  that  I  must  be  a  priest  —  a  good  criterion  of 
the  estimation  in  which  the  benevolence  of  the  Fathers  is  held 
by  their  own  people.  And  I  may  here  remark  that  all  the 
Catholic  priests  I  have  known,  occupying  the  post  of  chaplain 
to  the  convicts  of  that  religion,  were  without  exception  faith- 
ful and  entirely  devoted  to  the  duties  of  their  holy  calling, 
speaking  fearlessly  to  the  authorities  whenever  Catholic  pris- 
oners were  being  wrongly  treated  by  the  warders.  I  had  no 
intention  of  traveling  as  a  priest,  and  when  I  told  the  driver 
as  much  he  would  not  believe  it,  but  insisted  that  I  was  really 
a  priest  traveling  incognito ;  therefore,  when  we  stopped  at  a 
small,  wayside  tavern,  about  twelve  miles  from  Cork  and  two 
to  Fermoy,  he  privately  informed  the  mistress  that  I  was  a 
priest  who  did  not  want  the  fact  to  become  known.  Accord- 
ingly the  good  woman  treated  me  with  marked  attention 
during  my  short  stay.  It  was  then  nearly  sunset,  and  as  I 
did  not  wish  the  cabman  to  s-et  back  to  Cork  until  late  at 
15 


226  ^   "  C'6>  UP  DE   TONNERRE." 

night,  I  kept  him  eating  and  drinking  until  dark,  when  I  paid 
the  bill  and  started  him  homeward,  uproariously  rejoicing.  I 
then  started  for  Fermoy  station,  about  two  miles  distant, 
taking  the  hostler  along  to  carry  my  bag.  When  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  village  I  let  him  return.  While  passing 
through  the  village  I  went  into  a  shop  and  purchased  a  differ- 
ent Scotch  cap,  the  "  Glengary." 

Arriving  at  the  station,  I  noticed  a  man  near  the  ticket- 
office  who  appeared  to  be  watching  those  who  were  purchasing 
tickets.  This  made  me  change  my  plan  —  instead  of  taking 
a  ticket  to  Dublin,  I  bought  one  for  Lismore,  the  end  of  the 
road  in  the  opposite  direction.  The  exclamation,  "  Well,  are 
you  going  to  stay  all  night  ?  "  was  the  first  intimation  I  had 
of  our  arrival  at  that  place.  I  rubbed  my  sleepy  eyes,  and 
saw  with  dismay  that  all  the  passengers  were  gone,  and  one 
of  the  porters  was  putting  out  the  lights.  At  the  platform  I 
found  a  cab,  and  by  nine  p.  m.  I  was  at  the  Lismore  House. 

After  eating  supper  I  entered  the  sitting-room,  finding  a 
single  occupant  whom  I  took  to  be  a  lawyer ;  and,  judging  by 
his  conversation  and  manner,  in  the  light  of  later  events,  I 
do  not  doubt  that  he  surmised  who  I  was.  He  was  reading  a 
newspaper,  which  he  once  or  twice  offered  to  me ;  but  not 
dreaming  of  the  interesting  nature  of  its  contents,  I  declined 
to  take  it  from  him.  About  ten  P.  M.  the  gentleman  retired, 
leaving  his  paper  on  the  table.  I  carelessly  picked  it  up,  and 
the  first  thing  that  caught  my  eyes  was  a  displayed  heading 
in  large  type: 

500  pounds  reward  for  the  capture  of  George  Bid  well,  who  is 
in  Ireland.  He  cannot  escape,  for  all  the  stations  are  watched  and 
the  seaports  guarded.  The  whole  constabulary  and  detective  force 
of  the  country  are  after  him  (etc.) 

A  thunderbolt,  indeed !  For  a  few  minutes  I  stared  at 
the  paper  in  blank  dismay.  It  was  fortunate  for  my  tem- 
porary safety  that  there  were  no  witnesses  present.  "  Well," 
I  thought  to  myself,  "  this  is  a  predicament !     How  did  they 


''PARALYZED:' 


22T 


obtain  my  right  name  ?  I  thought  I  had  covered  up  the 
whole  affair  so  deep  in  mystery  that  not  a  clue  to  our  per- 
sonality could  be  obtained;  and  here  in  this  paper  appears 
the  whole  business  as  correctly  as  if  I  had  told  them  myself ! 
There  has  been  carelessness  or  treachery  somewhere ! " 

I  sat  for  an  hour  alone  in  this  Lismore  Hotel,  utterly 
dumbfounded,  bewildered,  paralyzed.  I  had  experienced 
some  shocks,  some  "take-downs,"  in  my  time,  but  never 
one  to  compare  with  this.  After  priding  myself  in  having 
laid  a  plan  and  managed  an  operation  to  lighten  the  plethoric 
money-bags  of  the  most  gigantic  financial  institution  in  all 
the  world  —  one  that  never  has  less  than  $60,000,000  in  its 
impregnable  vaults  —  an  institution  which  boasted  that  its 
system  of  transacting  business  had  become  so  perfect  that 
it  was  secure  from  the  attempts  of  the  designing,  yet  had 
permitted  me  and  my  assistants  to  carry  off  its  bags  of  gold 
ad  libitum,  —  here  I  was  in  such  a  fix,  and  everything  sup- 
posed to  have  been  so  carefully  hidden,  so  deeply  buried,  that 
nothing  less  than  superhuman  genius  could  unearth  it,  had 
come  to  the  surface  as  by  the  touch  of  a  magic  wand  in  the 
hands  of  a  prestidigitateur. 

Arousing  myself  from  a  state  of  mental  stupefaction 
hitherto  unknown,  I  began  to  realize  the  necessity  of  imme- 
diate action  if  I  wished  to  avoid  falling  into  the  merciless  jaws 
of  the  British  Lion.  I  put  the  paper  into  the  fire,  and  retired 
to  the  room  allotted  to  me.  For  the  first  time  I  fully  real- 
ized how  far  I  had  departed  from  the  principles  inculcated  by 
my  father  and  mother.  For  the  first  time  I  saw  myself  on 
the  verge  of  the  yawning  gulf  toward  which  I  had  been  almost 
imperceptibly  gliding  ever  since  the  day  of  my  fatal  meeting 
with  Frank  Kibbe  in  Baltimore. 

Before  daylight  in  the  morning  I  had  decided  upon  the 
first  step,  and  as  the  lawyer  had  asked  me  if  I  intended  to 
remain  over  Sunday,  I  resolved  to  be  as  far  away  as  possible 
before  he  was  out  of  bed.  While  it  was  yet  dark  in  the  house, 
I  left  my  bag  in  the  bedroom  and  crept  gently  down  the  stairs 


228  BEHIND   A   BLOODED   IRISH  HORSE. 

to  the  basement,  where  the  porter-hostler  was  sleeping  in  a 
box  of  rags.  I  suppose  the  poor  wretch  had  not  long  finished 
his  multifarious  duties,  for  1  could  arouse  him  only  to  a  state 
of  semi-consciousness,  and  could  get  no  information  from 
him.  I  then  went  up  to  the  front  door,  carefully  turned  the 
key  and  stepped  out  on  the  piazza  which  ran  along  the  front 
of  the  hotel.  Another  shock  was  in  store  for  me.  A  man 
posted  on  the  other  side  of  the  street  was  watching  the  hotel ! 

It  was  now  quite  light,  and  I  sauntered  carelessly  up  the 
street,  apparently  taking  no  notice  of  the  man  over  the  way, 
and  endeavoring  to  show  by  my  actions  that  I  was  out  for  an 
airing  before  breakfast. 

As  I  turned  the  next  corner  and  glanced  back,  I  saw  him 
following.  I  noticed  a  place  where  jaunting-cars  were  to  be 
let,  but  passed  on,  at  each  turn  glancing  back  to  see  my  fol- 
lower the  same  distance  in  the  rear.  I  now  took  a  circuit 
around  by  the  hotel,  but  instead  of  going  in,  I  hastened  and 
turned  the  next  corner  beyond —  he,  when  reaching  the  corner 
near  the  hotel,  not  seeing  me,  doubtless  thought  I  had  gone 
in,  and  planted  himself  in  his  old  position.  I  thought  Lis- 
more  to  be  getting  rather  hot,  and  hastening  to  the  livery 
stable,  found  the  hostler  just  getting  up.  He  informed  me 
that  all  the  horses  were  engaged  for  the  day  (Sunday,  March 
9,  1873)  except  one,  the  fastest  they  had,  but  as  this  was 
engaged  for  a  long  journey  on  Tuesday,  they  were  letting  him 
have  a  rest.  I  said :  "  But,  my  good  fellow,  I  must  have  a 
horse,  and  at  once,  with  you  to  drive,  and  there  will  be  a  half 
sovereign  for  a  good  Irishman,  such  as  I  see  before  me."  My 
"  blarney  "  began  to  do  its  work.  Scratching  his  head,  he 
finally  said :  "  Well,  I  will  waken  up  my  master,  and  you  can 
talk  with  him."  So  he  rapped  at  a  window,  and  soon  a 
night-capped  head  appeared,  and  after  some  parley  the  master 
consented  to  let  me  his  equipage.  In  a  few  minutes  from  the 
time  I  had  lost  sight  of  my  follower  we  were  rattling  out  of 
the  town  of  Lismore  at  the  full  speed  of  a  blooded  Irish  horse. 
I  had  left  my  bag  behind,  taking  only  the  Scotch  caps  and 


WET   OUT-DOORS   AND    "WET''    INSIDE.  229 

ulster  with  me  from  the  hotel.  I  found,  by  reference  to  the 
small  map  and  railway  guide,  that  Clonmel  was  less  than 
thirty  miles  distant,  and  connected  with  Dublin  by  a  branch 
line.  When  I  engaged  the  jaunting-car,  I  had  told  the  owner 
that  it  was  uncertain  what  part  of  the  day  I  should  require  it, 
and  after  we  were  about  five  miles  from  Lismore  I  said  to  the 
driver : 

"  You  say  that  you  are  going  to  Clonmel  on  Tuesday  for  a 
passenger.  Well,  now,  as  I  must  go  there  before  I  leave  this 
part  of  the  country,  you  may  as  well  continue  in  that  direc- 
tion, and  I  can  return  with  you  on  Tuesday." 

This  pleased  him,  and  we  drove  on  till  about  noon,  when 
we  stopped  at  a  country  grocery  about  five  miles  from  Clon- 
mel. As  we  drove  up  to  the  door,  the  words  of  an  old  Irish 
song  went  jingling  through  my  brain : 

"  At  the  sign  of  the  bell, 
On  the  road  to  Clonmel, 

Pat  Flagherty  kept  a  neat  shebeen." 

The  rain  poured  down  in  torrents.  I  gave  my  driver  a 
lunch  of  bread  and  cheese,  which  —  of  course  there — included 
whisky,  I  also  gave  him  a  sovereign,  telling  him  to  pay  his 
master  for  the  horse-hire  and  keep  the  change  for  himself ; 
then  started  him  back  brim  full  of  delight  and  the  "  craythur," 
receiving  his  parting  salute  : 

"  Yer  'onor  is  a  jintleman,  and  no  mistake." 

I  arranged  with  the  store-keeper  to  let  a  boy  take  me  in 
his  car  to  Clonmel. 

"  The  Green  Isle  !"  Well,  I  found  out  that  day  what  keeps 
the  grass  green  in  Ireland.  My  Irish  frieze  and  every  thread 
on  me  were  water-logged,  yet  the  Irish  lad,  my  driver,  took 
the  "  buckets-full "  as  a  matter  of  course.  Amidst  this  deluge 
of  rain,  we  arrived  in  Clonmel  and  stopped  at  a  "  shebeen," 
kept  by  the  boy's  uncle  —  driving  into  the  back  yard  through 
a  gate  in  a  board-fence  fifteen  feet  high,  which  shut  it  in  from 
the  street. 

I  went  into  a  room  in  the  rear  of  the  sale-room,  the  door 


230  QUESTIONED   BY   THE  PROPRIETRES'S. 

of  which  stood  open  so  that  I  could  see  all  that  passed  within  ; 
and,  as  I  stood  drying  my  clothes  by  the  turf  fire,  I  saw  how 
thirsty  souls  on  the  "  ould  sod,"  evaded  the  Sunday  liquor 
law.  The  proprietor  stood  in  the  shop  in  a  position  whence 
he  could  covertly  keep  an  eye  on  the  policeman  patrolling  the 
street,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight,  a  signal  was  given, 
the  back-yard  gate  thrown  open,  when  a  dozen  men  rushed 
in,  and  the  gate  closed.  Coming  hilariously  through  the 
dwelling  into  the  shop,  these  were  soon  busily  drinking  their 
"  potheen,"  laughing  and  boasting  about  how  cunningly  they 
had  "  done  the  cowardly  informer  of  a  policeman." 

It  was  now  two  o'clock  p.  m.  ;  the  rain  had  ceased,  and 
starting  out,  I  walked  along  a  main  street  until  I  saw  a  sign, 
"  Cabs  to  let."  I  went  into  the  house  and  was  shown  into  an 
inner  room,  where  the  proprietress  sat  crooning  over  a  turf 
fire.  She  motioned  me  to  a  seat  beside  her,  and  when  I  told 
her  I  wished  for  a  conveyance  to  take  me  to  Cahir,  a  place 
eight  miles  distant,  she  asked  me  several  questions,  among 
others,  how  long  I  wished  to  be  gone,  and  if  I  were  not  an 
American.  To  all  of  wiiich,  I  replied  to  the  following  effect : 
That  I  was  going  to  visit  some  friends  who  were  officers 
stationed  in  the  fort  at  Cahir ;  and  as  to  her  mistaking  me  for 
an  American,  the  ancestors  of  the  "  Yankees  "  went  from 
about  Norfolk  county,  England,  to  America,  of  course  taking 
the  accent  with  them,  and  I  being  from  the  former  place 
(Norfolk)  of  course  had  the  same  accent. 

This  explanation  appeared  to  satisfy  the  old  lady,  and  she 
became  quite  confidential ;  and,  anxious  to  remove  from  my 
mind  any  trace  of  offense  at  her  unusual  questioning,  she 
drew  closer  to  me  and  said : 

"  I  can  see  that  you  are  all  right ;  but,  the  fact  is,  that 
the  captain  of  police  sent  an  order  that  I  should  notify 
him  at  once,  in  case  any  stranger  wished  to  hire  a  vehicle, 
especially  if  I  thought  him  an  American.  But  I  do  not  care 
for  the  curs ;  they  are  nothing  but  a  parcel  of  spies  and 
informers  in  the  pay  of  the  English  government ;  so  even  if 


THE    COTTAGE   BY   THE   FORT.  231 

you  \tere  the  one  they  are  looking  for,  they  will  wait  a  long 
time  for  me  to  inform  them,  and  you  shall  have  my  best  horse 
and  a  good  driver." 

I  heartily  thanked  the  good  old  Irish  lady  —  for  I  have 
found  true  ladies  and  gentlemen  among  the  poor  and  humble 
as  well  as  the  wealthy,  especially  in  Ireland  —  and  in  a  few 
minutes  I  was  bowling  gaily  along  toward  Cahir. 

This  is  a  small,  ancient,  walled  garrison  town,  the  nearest 
railway  station  being  at  Clonmel.  This  miniature  city  has 
been  the  scene  of  many  a  heart-stirring  event  in  the  distant 
past.  Here  Cromwell  was  for  a  time  held  at  bay,  and  his 
fanatical  hordes  made  their  Celtic  opponents  pay  in  blood  for 
their  patriotic  and  desperate  defense  of  their  homes  and 
firesides. 

Driving  through  the  town  gate,  I  saw  in  the  main  street  a 
grocery  store  with  a  blind  down,  and  telling  the  driver  to  halt 
there,  I  paid  him  and  sent  him  back.  I  then  went  into  the 
grocery,  and  after  taking  a  lunch  of  bread  and  cheese,  con- 
tinued my  walk  up  the  street.  I  saw  a  hotel  just  ahead,  but 
not  wishing  to  attract  attention  to  my  movements,  I  crossed  to 
the  opposite  side,  and  while  doing  so,  glanced  back  and  saw  a 
car  come  through  the  same  town  gate  I  had  just  entered,  and 
dash  furiously  up  the  street,  pulling  up  at  the  walk  a  few 
yards  behind  me.  Just  as  they  sprang  out,  I  turned  to  the 
left  into  a  narrow  lane  in  which  I  saw  a  gateway  to  the  fort, 
just  within  the  entrance  of  which  a  sentry  was  pacing,  there 
being  opposite  several  roofless  cottages.  The  soldier's  back 
being  turned,  quick  as  thought  I  sprang  unseen  within  one  of 
these,  and  in  a  moment  I  heard  some  men  run  around  the 
corner  and  interrogate  the  soldier,  who  stoutly  declared  that 
no  one  had  entered.  The  men  then  demanded  to  see  the  cap- 
tain, were  admitted,  and  after  a  short  time  I  heard  them 
come  out  and  depart.  I  stood  in  that  ruin  two  mortal  hours 
until  dusk,  then  walked  out  unseen  by  the  sentry,  and  turning 
to  the  left,  came  into  a  narrow  street  lined  with  small  dwell- 
ing houses. 


Chapter  XXIII. 


AN  UNCEREMONIOUS  CALL —  "  I  AM  A  FENIAN  LEADER  "  — A  "  STORY  "  TOLD  IN  THE 
DARK  —  MALOY  HELPS  MY  ESCAPE  ON  AN  IRISH  JAUNTING-CAR  —  EGGS  —  A 
POLICEMAN  ANXIOUS  TO  OBTAIN  THE  FIVE  HUNDRED  POUNDS  REWARD  —  DUBLIN 
AGAIN  —  A  JEWESS'S  BLESSING  —  I  TURN  RUSSIAN,  AND  LATER  BECOME  A  FRENCH- 
MAN—  BELFAST  DETECTIVES  —  ESCAPE  INTO  SCOTLAND  —  THE  OTHER  SIDE  OF 
THE  STORY  —  A  BOW-STREET  DETECTIVE'S  ADVENTURES  W'HILE  HUNTING  ME 
THROUGH  IRELAND  —  CROSS-QUESTIONING  MY  JAUNTING-CAR  DRIVER  —  A 
"  COLD  WATER  CURE  "  —  HOT  ON  THE  TRAIL  —  NOT  IN  THE  FORT  —  A  FRUITLESS 
HUNT  —  MANY  INNOCENTS  ARRESTED  —  MALOY  BECOMES  A  "KNOW-NOTHING." 

CROSSING  the  narrow  street  in  Cahir,  referred  to  at  the 
close  of  the  last  chapter,  I  went  in  hap-hazard  at  the 
first  door,  without  knocking,  and  saw  a  family  eating  their 
humble  supper.  As  I  walked  in  I  addressed  the  family  at 
the  table  thus: 

"  Good  evening.  Pardon  my  intrusion,  and  do  not  dis- 
turb yourselves ;  but  by  all  means  finish  your  supper." 

"  Good  evening,  sir,"  was  the  reply  from  the  man,  whom  I 
will  call  Maloy.  "  We  are  glad  to  see  you  ;  will  you  sit  by 
and  have  pot-luck  with  us  ? " 

"No,  thank  you,"  I  answered.  "I  am  an  American  — 
and  it  is  my  custom  when  traveling  in  any  country  to  make 
unceremonious  calls  like  this,  in  order  to  see  the  people  as 
they  really  are  at  home." 

After  supper  was  over  I  related  to  Maloy  and  his  family 
several  stories  and  incidents  concerning  the  Fenians  and  their 
doings  in  America,  which  of  course  interested  them  greatly. 
When  it  was  fairly  dark  I  arose  to  go,  and  Maloy  went  out- 
side with  me.  He  had  previously  informed  me  that  he  was 
employed  by  the  government  in  the  civil  service.  I  will  not 
state  in  what   capacity,  for   although  so   many  years   have 

(232) 


MY  FRIEND  MALOY.  233 

elapsed,  the  true-hearted  Irishman  may  still  be  earning  his 
bread  in  the  same  humble  employment,  and  the  knowledge 
that  he  assisted  one  whom  he  supposed  to  be  a  Fenian  leader 
in  1873  might  even  now  cost  him  dearly.  If  what  he  did  was 
discovered  at  the  time,  and  he  suffered  in  consequence  — 
should  he  be  still  alive,  or  if  not,  his  wife  or  children — it 
would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  hear  from  the  family,  and  to 
render  them  such  aid  as  is  now  in  my  power.  I  am  sure  they 
cannot  have  forgotten  me.  When  we  were  outside  the  door  1 
said : 

"  The  fact  is,  Maloy,  I  am  a  Fenian  leader,  and  the  police 
are  after  me !  I  have  been  dodging  them  for  two  days,  and 
they  are  looking  for  me  now  in  Cahir !  I  have  important 
papers  for  prominent  Fenians  in  various  parts  of  Ireland,  and 
it  would  delay  our  plans  if  I  am  obliged  to  destroy  them. 
But  I  fear  I  must  do  so  at  once,  unless  you  can  help  me.  I 
would  almost  sooner  forfeit  my  life  than  to  lose  these  papers, 
and  I  shall  fight  to  my  last  breath  rather  than  let  them  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  police,  for  it  might  be  the  ruin  of 
several  good  men !  My  plan  is  to  double  back  to  Clonmel, 
and  I  want  your  assistance  to  get  me  out  of  Cahir  I " 

"  0,  sir,"  he  replied  "  it  is  too  bad  you  did  not  let  me 
know  a  little  sooner,  for  the  mail-car  is  gone ;  it  starts  at  six 
o'clock." 

Just  as  he  finished  speaking,  a  car  came  rumbling  past, 
and  he  exclaimed  joyfully  : 

"  We  are  in  luck  !  There  goes  the  mail-car  to  the  post- 
office  !     Come  with  me  !  " 

We  hastened  through  a  narrow,  dark  lane  to  the  gate  — 
the  same  I  had  entered  from  Clonmel  —  walked  through  and 
at  a  hundred  yards  beyond  waited  for  the  mail-car,  which  soon 
came  along.  Maloy  being  well  acquainted  with  the  driver, 
hailed  him.  saving  that  a  friend  of  his  wanted  a  ride  to 
Clonmel. 

After  shaking  hands  warmly  with  Maloy,  I  climbed  upon 
the  car,  and  the  next  instant  I  was  whirling  along  —  into 
fresh  dangers  —  in  that  unique  vehicle,  an  Irish  jaunting-car. 


234  AMERICAN-ENGLISH  TABOOED. 

Arriving  near  Clonmel  I  saw  a  tavern,  and  ascertaining 
from  the  driver  that  it  was  near  the  railway  station,  I  left  the 
car  and  entered  the  place,  only  to  find  that  the  best,  and  in 
fact  the  sole  food  to  be  had  for  supper  was  eggs.  Having 
been  on  the  move  since  dawn,  after  a  sleepless  night,  and 
almost  without  food,  I  hesitate  to  divulge  how  many  eggs  I 
disposed  of  that  evening,  for  the  statement  might  tend  to 
throw  distrust  on  the  general  veracity  of  my  narrative.  Hav- 
ing dried  my  wet.  clothes  and  put  myself  into  a  presentable 
condition,  I  went  to  the  railway  station  to  take  the  eleven 
p.  M.  train  to  Dublin.  Seating  myself  on  a  bench  outside,  I 
handed  some  money  to  a  porter  and  sent  him  for  a  ticket, 
which  he  obtained.  There  were  but  a  few  waiting  about,  so  I 
stepped  into  the  small  waiting-room  and  sat  down  near  three 
other  men.  The  one  nearest,  whom  I  at  once  put  down  for  a 
local  policeman  in  private  clothes,  turned  and  spoke  to  me. 
I  replied  with  civility  to  his  questions  until  finally  he  said : 
"  But,  are  you  not  an  American  ? "  I  replied  to  his  startling 
question  in  such  a  manner  that  he  appeared  satisfied. 

"  You  must  excuse  me,  sir,  for  questioning  you,"  he  ex- 
plained, "  but  there  has  been  a  great  forgery  in  London,  and 
it  is  said  some  of  the  parties  are  in  Ireland,  and  I  am  anxious 
to  get  a  claim  on  the  500  pounds  that  is  offered  for  each  one 
of  them."  I  told  him  that  instead  of  being  offended,  I  was- 
greatly  pleased  to  see  the  zeal  he  exhibited  in  the  execution 
of  his  duties,  and  expressed  the  hope  that  he  might  be  suc- 
cessful in  securing  at  least  one  of  the  forgers,  which  would 
give  him  not  only  the  500  pounds,  but  undoubtedly  promo- 
tion. 1  got  on  the  train  all  right,  resolving  that  I  ^ould  not 
speak  another  word  of  English  while  in  Ireland,  and  forthwith 
turned  into  a  Russian,  who  could  speak  "  une  veree  leetel 
Froncais,"  confident  that  I  should  not  be  in  danger  of  expos- 
ure by  encounter  with  any  one  who  could  speak  the  Russian 
language.  I  threw  away  the  ordinary  Scotch  cap  I  had  been 
wearing,  and  put  on  the  Glengary.  When  I  arrived  at  the 
Maryborough  junction,  the  train  on  the  main  line  from  Cork 


SECOND-HAND   GOODS.  235 

was  late,  and  I  walked  up  and  down  on  the  platform,  well- 
knowing  that  the  detectives  would  scrutinize  more  closely 
those  who  appeared  to  shrink  from  observation ;  therefore  I 
affected  the  bearing  of  a  Russian  prince  as  nearly  as  I  knew 
how. 

I  got  on  the  train  unmolested,  and  arrived  in  Dublin  at 
one  A.  M. 

There  appeared  to  be  some  special  watching  of  those 
leaving  the  train,  but  I  passed  out  unchallenged  and  took  a 
cab.  Not  knowing  the  name  of  any  hotel,  I  told  the  driver  I 
would  direct  the  route  as  we  passed  along,  and  he  drove  away 
at  a  great  pace.  Very  soon  I  noticed  another  cab  following 
at  an  equal  speed.  I  had  mine  turn  a  corner,  but  the  one 
behind  came  thundering  after;  and  though  I  bade  my  driver 
to  turn  at  nearly  every  corner,  still  I  could  not  shake  off 
my  supposed  pursuer  until,  after  apparently  being  followed 
about  two  miles,  the  stern-chaser  turned  off  in  another  direc- 
tion, much  to  my  i^elief.  We  soon  approached  the  Cathedral 
Hotel,  where  1  alighted  about  two  a.  m.,  rang  up  the  porter, 
and  was  shown  to  a  room. 

At  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  sent  for  my  bill,  left 
the  hotel,  went  direct  to  the  "  Jew "  quarter,  and  purchased 
a  valise  and  some  second-hand  clothes.  Noticing  the  old 
Jewess's  looks  of  curiosity  at  seeing  one  of  my  appearance 
making  such  purchases,  I  remarked:  "A  Fenian  friend  has 
got  himself  into  a  scrape,  and  the  police  are  after  him ;  so  I 
am  going  to  get  him  out  of  the  country,  and  wish  to  let  him 
have  some  things  that  do  not  have  too  new  a  look."  At 
hearing  those  (in  Ireland)  magic  words,  "Fenian,"  "police," 
she  became  all  smiles,  let  me  fill  the  valise  with  old  garments 
at  my  own  price,  and  at  parting  said  :  "  God  bless  you !  May 
you  have  good  luck,  and  get  him  off  safe  to  America !" 

I  then  went  to  a  more  pretentious  locality,  where  I  pro- 
cured a  silk  hat  draped  with  mourning  crape,  put  the  Glen- 
gary  in  my  pocket,  and  became  a  Frenchman.  At  this 
moment  I  discovered  that  I  had  left  in  my  room  at  the  hotel 


236 


G.  B. 


a  large  silk  neck-wrapper  on  which  were  embroidered  the 
initials  "  G.  B,"  I  immediately  stepped  into  a  shop  and  left 
my  new  purchases,  resuming  the  Scotch  cap,  and  started  for 
the  hotel  (where  I  had  given  no  name)  to  secure  the  danger- 
ous article  left  behind.  Coming  in  sight  of  the  hotel,  I  saw 
a  man  stationed  opposite,  leaning  on  a  cane,  who  appeared  to 
be  watching  the  house.  As  I  approached  nearer  he  kept  his 
eyes  covertly  fixed  upon  me ;  therefore,  instead  of  entering 
the  hotel,  I  walked  past  it  and  turned  the  next  corner,  glanc- 
ing backward  as  I  did  so,  and,  to  my  dismay,  saw  the  man 
following  me.  I  now  adopted  the  same  plan  of  action  that 
succeeded  so  well  at  Cork,  and  in  a  half-hour  I  had  shaken 
him  off  and  returned  to  the  place  where  I  had  left  my  new 
silk  hat  and  valise.  Doffing  the  hat,  with  valise  in  hand,  1 
was  soon  seated  in  an  Irish  jaunting-car,  on  my  way  to  a 
station  about  ten  miles  out  on  the  railway  to  Belfast. 

Upon  reflection,  I  was  satisfied  that  the  chambermaid  had 
found  the  silk  wrapper  and  taken  it  to  the  hotel  office.  There 
the  initials,  together  with  the  knowledge  of  my  arrival  at  so 
unusual  an  hour,  without  baggage,  and  my  early  departure, 
had  aroused  the  suspicion  that  I  was  the  George  Bidwell  of 
the  newspapers,  and  the  police  had  been  notified  at  once.  At 
about  eleven  a.  m.  I  arrived  at  the  station,  and  going  into  a 
store,  paid  my  Dublin  cabman,  and  called  for  a  lunch.  About 
five  minutes  before  the  train  was  due  from  Dublin,  I  walked 
into  the  empty  station,  presented  myself  at  the  ticket-office, 
and  said,  "  Parlez  vous  FrauQais,  Monsieur  ? "  and  received 
the  reply,  "  No."  I  then  said,  in  a  mongrel  of  French  and 
English,  that  I  wished  for  a  ticket  to  Drogheda  —  not  daring 
to  purchase  one  through  to  Belfast.  Supposing  me  to  be  a 
French  gentleman,  he  was  very  polite  and  ordered  the  porter 
to  take  my  baggage  to  the  platform.  There  I  found  myself 
the  solitary  waiting  passenger.  As  the  train  approached,  I 
saw  a  pair  of  heads  projecting  from  the  carriage  windows, 
eagerly  scanning  the  platform.  Two  men  jumped  off,  and 
hastening  to  the  station-master,  began  to  talk  to  him  in  an 


PERSECUTION  OF  INNOCENTS.  237 

excited  manner,  all  the  time  glancing  toward  me.  As  I 
passed  near  the  group  to  get  on  the  train,  I  heard  the  agent 
say :  "  He  is  a  Frenchman."  No  doubt  he  informed  them 
that  I  had  purchased  a  ticket  to  a  way-station  only  —  a  fact 
that  would  naturally  allay  suspicion.  At  the  next  stopping- 
place  they  actually  arrested  a  man,  but  went  no  further. 

I  afterward  ascertained  that  twelve  men  were  arrested  on 
that  and  the  preceding  day,  among  the  number  being  a  fraud- 
ulent debtor  trying  to  escape  to  America  by  the  same  steamer 
— the  Atlantic. 

The  following  extracts  from  contemporary  newspapers 
will  give  the  reader  some  idea  as  to  what  a  "  hot "  place 
Ireland  was  for  me : 

[By  cable  to  the  New  York  Herald.'] 

London,  March  18,  1873. 

Three  shabbily  dressed  men,  who  from  their  accent  are  believed 
to  be  Americans,  were  arrested  in  Cork,  Ireland,  this  morning, 
while  attempting  to  deposit  $12,000  in  that  city. 

They  are  supposed  to  be  the  parties  who  recently  committed  the 
frauds  on  the  Bank  of  England. 

[From  the  London  Times  of  same  date.] 

To  Editor  of  ''Times": 

Sir,  —  The  case  of  Dr.  Hessel  has  been  so  lately  before  the  pub- 
he,  and  so  much  has  been  written  both  in  the  English  and  German 
papers  against  the  English  poHce,  that  probably  a  little  evidence 
upon  the  procedure  of  the  German  (or,  I  ought  probably  to  say,  the 
Bavarian)  may  not  be  uninteresting  at  the  present  moment.  My- 
self and  son.  a  sub-lieutenant,  R.  N.,  made  a  great  effort  to  reach 
the  grotesque  old  city  of  Nuremburg  on  Saturday  last,  8th  March, 
arriving  there  about  seven  p.  m.  We  were  asked  to  put  our  names 
in  the  stranger's  book,  as  usual,  which  we  did,  and  retired  to  bed. 
Imagine  our  surprise,  on  rising  on  Sunday  morning,  at  receiving  a 
visit  from  one  of  the  chief  police  officers  requesting  us  to  ''legitimize 
ourselves."  I  asked  him  his  object  for  making  this  demand,  when 
he  replied  that  a  man  named  ''Horton"  was  wanted  by  the  English 
police. 

In  vain  I  showed  him  an  old  passport  and  letters  addressed  to 


238  ''THOSE    YANKEES:' 

me,  showing  that  my  name  was  Hutton;  he  informed  me  that  I 
could  not  leave  my  room,  and  placed  two  policemen  at  the  door. 
At  one  o'clock  I  remembered  an  influential  inhabitant  of  the  town 
who  knew  me,  and  I  sent  for  him.  He  at  once  went  to  head- 
quarters and  gave  bond  for  me  to  a  large  amount,  and  at  six  o'clock 
in  the  evening  myself  and  son  were  released.  You  will  remember 
that  in  the  case  of  Dr.  Hessel  four  persons  swore  to  his  identity 
before  he  was  deprived  of  his  liberty.  In  my  case  a  similar  name 
to  that  required  was  sufficient  to  deprive  me  of  mine. 

I  have  since  received,  thanks  to  the  strenuous  and  prompt 
action  of  the  British  Minister  at  Munich,  a  very  ample  apology  in 
writing  for  the  blunder  that  had  been  committed.  It  is  signed  by 
the  Burgermeister  of  the  city,  and  as  the  intelligence  of  this  worthy 
seems  to  be  equaled  by  his  simplicity,  he  sends  me  a  safe  pass  to 
protect  me  in  my  further  travels,  in  case  Hutton  should  again  be 
considered  the  same  as  Horton.  I  remain,  sir, 
Your  obedient  servant, 

Chas.  W.  C.  Hutton, 
Ex-Sheriff,  London  and  Middlesex. 

Frankfort-on-the-Maine,  March  15,  1873. 

I  now  return  to  my  narrative.  In  the  second-class  com- 
partment where  I  sat  were  two  burly,  loud-talking,  well- 
informed  farm  proprietors,  one  of  whom  had  imbibed  a  little 
too  freely  of  the  native  distillation.  The  sober  one  had  just 
finished  reading  a  column  article  on  the  "  Great  Bank  For- 
gery "  to  his  lively  companion,  who  at  length  turned  and 
addressed  me.  I  answered  him  politely  in  broken  French, 
and  he  then  went  on  to  give  his  opinion  of  the  bank  affair,  as 
nearly  as  I  can  remember,  as  follows : 

"  You,  being  a  Frenchman,  don't  understand  about  our 
great  bank ;  but  I  tell  you  those  Yankees  did  a  mighty  thing 
when  they  attacked  that  powerful  institution.  The  one  they 
have  got  penned  up  here  in  Ireland  can't  possibly  escape; 
indeed,  according  to  the  newspapers,  he  is  already  in  the 
hands  of  the  police.  I  am  almost  sorry  to  hear  it,  for  in 
getting  the  best  of  that  bank  so  cleverly  the  rascal  deserves 
to  get  off ;  and  see,  here  is  a  description  of  him." 


A   FRENCH   TRAVELER.  239 

I  looked  at  the  paper  and  saw  that  it  was  a  fair  general 
outline  of  my  appearance,  even  to  my  ulster  which  I  had  with 
me  in  the  valise,  and  the  Scotch  cap  which  was  in  my  pocket. 
Before  we  reached  Drogheda  I  had  explained  to  one  of  my 
new  friends,  in  broken  French,  that,  owing  to  my  ignorance 
of  the  English  language,  I  had  purchased  a  wrong  ticket,  and 
being  liable  to  make  a  similar  mistake,  should  feel  obliged  if 
he  would  take  the  trouble  to  procure  me  a  ticket  at  that  sta- 
tion. He  readily  assented,  and  by  this  means  I  procured  it 
without  exposing  myself.  The  hunt  for  me  was  becoming  so 
extremely  hot  that  I  dared  not  show  myself  again  at  a  ticket- 
office  ;  and  if  I  should  be  found  on  a  train  ticketless,  that  fact 
might  lead  to  closer  scrutiny  —  the  rule  in  that  country  being 
that  every  passenger  must  be  provided  with  a  ticket  before 
entering  a  car,  under  the  penalty  of  fine  or  imprisonment. 

The  train  arrived  in  Belfast  at  nine  P.  M.,  and  I  at  once 
took  a  cab  to  the  Glasgow  steamer.  It  was  very  dark,  and 
I  went  on  board  unobserved,  two  hours  before  the  time  of 
departure.  Going  down  into  the  saloon  cabin,  I  saw  the 
purser  sitting  near  the  entrance,  to  whom  I  said :  "  Parlez 
vous  FrauQais  ?"  He  shook  his  head.  I  then  asked  in  jargon 
for  "  une  billet  a  Glasgow."  Surmising  what  I  wished,  he 
gave  me  a  ticket,  putting  on  it  the  number  of  my  berth. 

Expecting  to  be  followed,  I  had  taken  that  instant  pre- 
caution of  impressing  on  the  purser's  mind  that  I  was  a 
Frenchman.  I  passed  into  the  wash-room,  just  opposite 
where  the  purser  sat,  washed  myself,  and  brushed  my  hair. 
Just  at  this  moment  I  heard  steps  descending  the  cabin  stair- 
way, then  the  words: 

"  Purser,  a  cab  just  brought  a  man  from  the  Dublin  train. 
Where  is  he?"  "  Oh,  you  mean  the  Frenchman,"  replied  the 
purser ;  "  he  's  in  the  wash-room." 

While  this  was  passing  I  had  put  on  my  silk  hat  and 
taken  up  my  valise,  and  was  standing  before  the  glass  (d  la 
Frangais)^  taking  a  final  view  of  my  toilette^  and  snapping  off 
some  imaginary  dust  and  lint,  as  two  detectives  stepped  in, 


240  ^^^   DETECTIVE'S  STORY. 

and  after  looking  me  well  over,  went  out,  and  I  saw  them  no 
more.  That  proved  to  be  the  last  ordeal  through  which  I 
passed  in  the  hunt  through  Ireland.  After  being  con- 
vinced that  they  had  left  the  steamer,  I  went  to  my  berth, 
and  being  thoroughly  exhausted,  I  fell  asleep  in  an  instant, 
not  awaking  until  the  steamer  was  entering  the  harbor  of 
Glasgow. 

After  my  arrest  a  month  later  in  Scotland,  during  the 
transfer  to  London,  and  afterward  at  Newgate,  while  awaiting 
trial  four  months,  the  detectives  told  me  that  they  were  in 
Cork  three  hours  after  I  had  left,  and  one  of  them  related 
their  adventures  substantially  as  follows : 

We  arrived  in  Cork  Saturday  afternoon,  and  were  not  long  in 
finding  the  temperance  hotel  where'  you  stayed  on  Friday  night, 
and  the  hat  you  left  behind.  After  a  long  hunt  we  ascertained 
that  a  jaunting-car  had  left  the  stand  some  hours  previously,  and 
was  still  absent. 

We  had  a  good  laugh  at  those  blunder-heads,  the  Cork  officers, 
letting  you  slip  through  their  fingers,  and  then  showed  them  how 
we  do  things.  After  some  delay,  we  traced  the  cab  across  the 
bridge  to  the  shop  where  you  got  the  boy  to  go  for  it.  The  shop- 
woman  was  quite  voluble  about  you,  saying  she  knew  all  the  time 
that  you  were  an  American  by  the  accent,  and  described  the  bag 
and  ulster  which  we  had  ascertained  were  in  your  possession.  Of 
course  we  were  now  satisfied  that  we  were  on  the  right  scent,  but 
could  get  no  further  trace,  or  the  direction  taken  by  the  cab.  We 
therefore  sent  dispatches  to  all  the  telegraph  stations  within  fifty 
miles  to  put  the  police  on  the  watch,  and  sent  messengers  to  the 
outlying  places;  but  somehow  you  slipped  through  our  meshes,  and 
nothing  turned  up  until  the  carman  returned  at  about  eleven  p.  m., 
as  drunk  as  a  soldier  on  furlough.  After  putting  him  under  a 
water-tap  until  he  was  half  drowned,  we  got  him  sober  enough  to 
tell  where  he  had  left  you;  but  he  swore  you  were  a  priest,  and  his 
evident  sincerity  caused  us  all  to  roar  with  laughter.  This  angered 
him,  and  he  said:  -'Ye  may  twist  me  head  an  dhroun  me  intirely, 
but  I  wull  niver  spake  another  wurrud  about  the  jintelman  at  all, 
at  all,"  and  sure  enough,  we  could  get  nothing  more  out  of  him. 


CASTS  OF  THE   HEADS  OF  NOTORIOUS  CRIAHNALS. 


FOLLOWING  THE   TRAIL.  241 

We  had  a  carriage  ready,  and,  jumping  in,  we  were  at  the  way- 
side inn  by  midnight,  and  terrified  the  old  woman  half  out  of  her 
wits  in  arousing  her  out  of  bed.  After  a  while  she  gathered  them 
sufficiently  to  show  us  that  you  had  six  hours  the  start  of  us.  The 
boy  who  carried  your  bag  could  give  us  no  points,  but  we  concluded 
you  intended  taking  the  branch  line  at  Fermoy  for  Dublin.  We 
drove  right  on,  arriving  at  the  Fermoy  station  at  one  a.  m.  ;  but 
getting  no  trace,  we  telegraphed  to  all  the  stations  along  the  line  to 
Dublin,  and  there  as  well,  to  be  on  the  lookout.  Who  would  ever 
have  thought  of  your  taking  the  opposite  direction,  penning  your- 
self in  at  the  end  of  a  branch  line,  at  a  small,  inland  town  like 
Lismore?  Why,  you  were,  as  we  discovered  the  next  morning,  at 
that  moment  sleeping  quietly  at  the  Lismore  Hotel,  and  only  about 
ten  miles  from  where  we  were  working  so  industriously  for  that 
£500!     Well,  you  ''done"  us  fine,  that  time! 

After  you  so  cleverly  threw  us  off  the  trail,  we  could  get  no 
trace  until  Sunday  morning,  when  we  received  a  dispatch  from 
Lismore,  stating  that  a  man  had  come  on  the  last  train,  stayed  at 
the  hotel,  and  left  at  daylight  without  paying  his  bill;  also,  that  he 
had  left  a  bag  in  his  room,  which  contained  some  collars  marked 
"G.  B."  "Hello!"  said  I,  as  soon  as  I  read  the  dispatch,  "we 
never  suspected  Lismore;  he  has  been  there  all  night,  and  is  off, 
again!  "  We  telegraphed  to  Clonmel,  Waterford,  and  other  places; 
then  left  for  Lismore,  where  we  arrived,  paid  your  bill,  and  took 
the  bag  with  us.  Surmising  that  you  might  make  for  Clonmel, 
we  looked  for  and  found  the  place  where  you  got  the  car,  but  no 
news  as  to  what  direction  you  had  taken.  It  would  have  made 
you  laugh,  as  it  did  us,  to  see  the  old  livery-man  stamp  about  and 
tear  his  hair  when  he  found  how  easily  he  could  have  made  the 
£500 — ^if  he  had  "only  known." 

Starting  on  the  way  to  Clonmel,  we  soon  had  news  which  satisfied 
us  we  were  once  more  on  the  right  track.  Shortly  after  we  met, 
sure  enough,  the  cab  you  had  sent  back  from  the  country  store. 
Arriving  there  we  took  the  boy,  who  had  just  returned  from  driv- 
ing you  to  Clonmel,  with  us,  and  feeling  sure  that  we  should  soon 
come  up  with  you,  we  made  our  horses  spin  toward  that  town. 
Arriving  there,  we  saw  the  Inspector,  who  informed  us  that  he  had 
sent  a  constable  in  pursuit  of  a  man  who  had  hired  a  car  to  go  to 

16 


242  BAFFLED. 

Cahir.  [This  must  have  been  one  of  the  men  in  the  car  whom  I 
escaped  by  dodging  into  the  ruined  cottage. —  Author.]  It  being 
then  sundown,  we  drove  to  Cahir,  with  all  speed,  arriving  there  just 
after  dark,  passing  the  Clonmel  mail-car  inside  the  gate  ;  but  it 
contained  no  one  but  the  driver.  [It  appears  that  the  Bow  detect- 
ives arrived  just  as  I  was  going  with  Maloy  through  the  lane,  as 
previously  described  ] 

We  soon  found  the  constable  sent  from  Clonmel,  who  said  you 
had  disappeared  into  the  fort,  where  a  friend  must  have  concealed 
you,  and  that  you  must  be  there  still.  He  then  took  us  to  the  fort, 
which  was  closed  for  the  night.  As  soon  as  my  eyes  lighted  on  the 
ruined  cottages,  I  asked  him  if  he  had  searched  them,  and  received 
an  answer  in  the  negative.  ''  Why,"  said  he,  "  they  are,  as  you  see, 
all  open  to  the  day,  without  roof,  doors,  or  windows,  and  no  one 
would  think  of  hiding  in  them."  ''  You  are  a  fool,"  I  replied  ; 
"  Give  me  your  lamp,  and  come  in  with  me."  After  a  look  around, 
and  seeing  how  easily  any  person  could  stand  in  a  corner  out  of 
sight,  I  remarked  to  him,  emphatically,  that  he  was  the  biggest 
specimen  of  a  goose  I  had  ever  seen  in  my  line.  "I  think,"  said  I, 
"  you  had  better  go  home  and  play  pin.  Here  is  where  he  dodged 
you,  and  now  he  is  off  again,  with  an  hour  or  more  start !  "  We 
worked  until  after  midnight,  and  gave  Cahir  such  a  "turning  over" 
that  the  inhabitants  won't  soon  forget,  but  could  not  get  hold  of  the 
least  trace,  except  at  one  place  [Maloy's],  where  a  woman  said  a 
stranger  came  in  at  supper- time,  who  said  he  was  an  American 
seeing  the  people  in  their  homes.  We  cross-questioned  the  man, 
but  could  get  nothing  out  of  him  more  than  that  you  had  departed. 

At  last  we  gave  it  up,  went  to  the  hotel  to  get  some  sleep,  which 
we  needed  badly,  and  the  next  day  went  to  Dublin,  heard  about  the 
finding  of  your  neckwrapper  at  the  Cathedral  Hotel,  and  knocked 
about  Ireland  for  some  time.  During  this  time  we  arrested  several 
persons,  but  soon  discovered  none  of  them  were  the  right  party, 
and  we  never  obtained  a  genuine  trace  until  you  gave  yourself 
away  later  in  Edinburgh. 

Readers  who  may  discover  any  trace  of  exultation  in  my 
relation  of  the  cool  and  skillful  manner  in  which  I  eluded  the 
detectives,  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  story  is  told  from  the 


''FAREWELL   TO  ERIN  J' 


243 


standpoint  of  my  then  state  of  feeling.  It  is  only  fair  for  me 
to  say  that,  at  the  moment,  while  in  the  thick  of  it,  I  did  feel 
a  certain  exultation  and  full  confidence  in  my  ability  to  keep 
out  of  the  way  for  all  time.  But  my  name  had  become  known, 
which,  with  other  disclosures,  showed  that  I  had  been  a  victim 
of  misplaced  confidence  ;  and,  though  I  might  have  gone  any- 
where with  impunity,  while  they  were  still  hunting  me 
in  Ireland,  I  lay  dormant  in  Edinburgh  rather  than  to  be  hunted 
through  the  world. 


<> 


Chapter  XXIV. 


ARRIVAL  IN  EDINBURGH  —  A  MYSTERY  UPfVEILED — EDITORIAL  FROM  THE  "LONDON 
times"  —  I  AM  ARRESTED — M'KELVIE  AND  McNAB — DIAMONDS  —  BAILIE  WIL- 
SON—  CROWDS  TO  SEE  ME  OFF  —  TRANSFERRED  TO  LONDON  —  A  NIGHT  AT 
BOW-STREET  POLICE  STATION  —  BEFORE  THE  LORD  MAYOR  OF  LONDON  —  THE 
MANSION  HOUSE  —  CONSIGNED   TO   NEWGATE. 

ON  arrival  of  the  steamer  at  Glasgow,  about  three  a.  m., 
it  was  a  question  whether  I  ought  not  to  go  directly 
back  to  London,  and,  while  it  was  believed  I  was  still  in 
Ireland,  make  a  rush  across  the  Channel,  through  France  to 
Marseilles,  then  by  steamer  to  Rio  Janeiro.  On  arrival  there 
it  would  be  easy  to  take  one  of  the  coast  line  steamships  for 
New  York.  But,  feeling  that  my  escape  from  Ireland  had  cut 
off  all  trace  of  me,  I  concluded  to  take  the  train  to  Edinburgh 
and  lie  by  for  a  while.  Arriving  there  I  stayed  one  night  at  a 
small  temperance  hotel,  assuming  the  character  of  a  German, 
and  the  next  day  I  took  a  room  at  22  Cumberland  Street — a 
lodging  house  for  medical  students.  Here  I  remained  from 
the  10th  of  March  until  the  3d  of  April,  sometimes  passing 
the  day  in  wandering  about  this  interesting  ancient  city.  A 
stroll  through  the  old  Edinburgh  streets,  and  the  old  Market 
Cross,  furnished  material  for  reflection  on  the  vicissitudes  of 
life  as  illustrated  in  the  pictures  of  the  past,  which  filled  my 
mind  as  I  gazed  upon  these  relics  of  generations  in  whose 
footsteps  I  was  now  treading. 

It  had  all  along  been  a  great  mystery  to  me  as  to  how  the 
detectives  had  so  easily  unveiled  the  actors,  and  so  quickly 
ascertained  the  connection  of  McDonald  and  myself  with  the 
forgery.  But  now  having  access  to  the  newspapers,  shock 
after  shock  nearly  overwhelmed  me  as  I  saw  how  I  had  been 

(244) 


"GIVEN  AWAY." 


245 


duped  to  take  part  in  a  crime  without  the  slightest  chance  of 
keeping  it  enveloped  in  the  darkness  in  which  I  firmly  believed 
it  was  wrapped.  But  enough  on  that  point.  The  object  of 
this  book  is  not  to  inculpate — still  less  to  exonerate  myself 


OLD    EDINBURGH    STREET. 

from  the  justifiable  charge  of  having  been  a  fool.  The  fol- 
lowing is  compiled  from  the  numerous  accounts  detailing  my 
arrest  and  return  to  London. 

It  appears  that  about  the  10th  of  March,  a  person  named  Cou- 
tant  arrived  in  Edinburgh  (it  is  supposed  from  Ireland)  and  took 
up  his  residence  in  Cumberland  Street.  From  the  11th  to  the  20th, 
he  made  it  a  daily  practice  to  call  at  a  news  agent's  shop  in  Dundas 
Street,  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  the  Edmburgh  and  London 


246  M'KELVIE   AND   McNAB. 

papers.  After  pondering  the  matter  over  in  his  mind,  it  occurred 
to  the  news  agent  that  his  visitor  was  exceedingly  hke  the  descrip- 
tion given  in  the  newspapers  of  Bidwell,  one  of  the  Bank  of  Eng- 
land forgers.  He  at  last  became  so  confirmed  in  this  idea  that  he 
mentioned  his  suspicion  to  a  gentleman  who  was  in  the  habit  of 
visiting  his  shop.  This  gentleman  who  is  in  the  employment  of 
Messrs.  Gibson- Craig,  Dalziel  &  Brodies,  agents  for  the  Bank  of 
England  in  Edinburgh,  as  a  clerk,  informed  the  partners  of  the 
suspicion  of  the  bookseller.  The  firm  on  hearing  their  clerk's 
statement,  sent  for  detective  M'Kelvie  and  instructed  him  to  make 
inquiries  regarding  Coutant.  On  Wednesday  morning  he  deter- 
mined to  visit  the  shopkeeper  in  Dundas  Street,  and  a  plain-clothed 
constable  named  McNab,  on  the  application  of  the  agents,  was  sent 
to  assist  him  if  his  inquiries  were  successful.  On  interrogating  the 
shopkeeper  he  was  directed  to  the  house  on  Cumberland  Street,  in 
which  Coutant  resided.  On  proceeding  to  the  place  indicated, 
M'Kelvie  inquired  of  the  landlady,  who  said  that  a  gentleman  from 
Hamburg  or  Rotterdam  had  been  residing  with  her  for  a  few 
weeks,  and  had  ordered  her  to  keep  him  very  quiet,  as  he  was  in 
rather  bad  health.  M'Kelvie  then  rejoined  McNab  whom  he  had 
left  at  the  bottom  of  the  stairs.  About  twenty  minutes  to  one 
o'clock,  a  person  answering  the  description  of  Bidwell  emerged, 
and  M'Kelvie  observed  the  landlady  nodding  to  him,  as  much  as  to 
say  "  That  is  the  man."  Coutant,  after  looking  up  and  down  the 
street,  re-entered,  which  movement  still  further  excited  the  suspic- 
ions of  the  detectives.  M'Kelvie  here  remarked  to  his  friend,  that 
the  action  of  Coutant  scarcely  seemed  like  that  of  an  honest  man. 
After  waiting  till  a  few  minutes  past  one  o'clock,  Coutant  again 
came  out  to  the  street  and  walked  up  Drummond  Place  to  the  top 
of  Scotland  Street,  where  he  posted  a  letter  in  a  pillar  letter-box. 
Coutant,  or  Bidwell,  now  became  conscious  that  he  was  being  fol- 
lowed, and  that,  evidently,  there  was  something  wrong.  He 
accordingly  began  to  dodge  about  a  number  of  streets  and  lanes  in 
the  locality,  and  finally  took  to  his  heels.  The  detectives  followed, 
and  now  began  a  most  exciting  chase.  The  fugitive,  with  great 
agility,  scaled  one  after  another  a  number  of  garden  walls,  lying 
between  Bellevue-Crescent  and  Scotland  Street.  Being  pressed 
closely  by  M'Kelvie,  who  was  just  at  his  heels,  he  deliberately 
entered  the  back  door  of  a  house,  ran  along  the  passage,  and  made 


Mc'' nabbed:'  247 

his  exit  into  the  area  in  Scotland  Street.  He  then  ran  up  the  stairs, 
scaled  the  raiUngs,  and  made  off  down  the  street,  along  Royal 
Crescent,  and  up  Duncan  Street.  M'Kelvie  still  kept  well  up,  the 
constable  having  fallen  considerably  in  the  rear.  Seeing  that  his 
efforts  to  escape  were  now  becoming  hopeless,  Coutant  turned 
around  and  with  a  stick  which  he  had  managed  to  carry  along  with 
him,  made  several  strokes  at  M'Kelvie.  The  detective  warded  off 
the  blows  and  succeeded  in  gripping  his  man.  M'Kelvie  then 
called  a  coal  porter,  who  was  in  the  vicinity,  and  with  his  assist' 
ance,  he  conducted  Bidwell  to  Pitt  Street,  where  a  cab  was  got. 
He  was  then  conveyed  to  Messrs.  Gibson-Craig,  Dalziel  &  Brodie's 
ofiQce  in  Thistle  Street,  and  information  of  the  capture  was  sent  to 
the  police  authorities. 

In  the  custody  of  the  two  officers  Bidwell  was  removed  to  the 
central  office  in  High  Street  and  locked  up.  The  police  proceeded 
shortly  after  the  apprehension,  to  his  lodgings  and  took  possession 
of  his  luggage.  On  opening  the  portmanteaus,  a  number  of  valu- 
able diamonds,  a  large  quantity  of  jewelry,  and  several  letters  bear- 
ing the  name  of  George  Bidwell  were  found. 

On  Wednesday,  at  the  police  court,  before  Bailie  Wilson,  Bid- 
well  was  placed  at  the  bar,  on  the  charge  of  being  concerned  in  the 
forgeries.  Mr.  Morhah,  the  clerk  of  the  court,  read  a  petition,  set- 
ting forth  that  on  or  about  the  7th  of  March,  the  Procurator  Fiscal 
received  information  from  Inspector  Bailey,  of  the  city  of  London 
police,  charging  George  Bidwell  with  the  crime  of  forgery. 

Mr.  Morhah  asked  for  a  warrant  authorizing  his  detention. 
Bailie  Wilson  granted  the  necessary  warrant.  The  prisoner  was 
then  removed,  and  was  shorMy  afterward  conveyed  in  a  cab  to  the 
Waverly  Station.  There  he  was  handed  over  to  the  care  of  the 
two  detective  officers  from  London,  who  left  with  him  about  eleven 
o'clock,  a  compartment  of  a  first-class  carriage  having  been  engaged 
for  them. 

A  crowd  assembled  at  the  station  to  see  the  prisoner.  He  was 
very  lame,  having  evidently  sustained  severe  injuries  while  being 
pursued  the  previous  day.  He  did  not  sleep  during  Wednesday 
night,  but  occupied  his  time  in  reading.  He  had  in  his  possession 
ten  diamonds,  which  a  jeweler  in  Edinburgh  valued  at  about  £150 
each. 

Detective   Sergeants   Spittle    and    Smith,    of    the    city  police. 


248 


''SICKLY  AND   CAREWORN:' 


who  had  been  sent  specially  to  Edinburgh  to  bring  him, 
arrived  at  the  Euston  Square  terminus,  about  half-past  nine, 
and  Bidwell  was  conveyed  thence  in  a  cab,  under  a  strong 
escort,  to  the  Bow-lane  Police  Station.  On  alighting  from  the 
cab  he  appeared  lame,  and  walked  with  some  little  difiBculty  into 


MARKET    CROSS,   EDINBURGH. 

the  station.  He  looked  sickly  and  careworn.  Major  Bowman, 
assistant  commissioner  of  city  police,  arrived  at  the  police  station 
while  the  prisoner  was  answering  some  formal  questions  put  to  him 
by  the  inspector  on  duty,  Mr.  Knight.  Being  asked  his  name,  he 
smiled  slightly  and  hesitated.  Upon  that  he  was  asked  if  he 
declined  to  give  it.  He  still  hesitated,  and  the  inspector  explained 
to  him  that  he  was  not  bound  to  give  his  name.  What  they 
wanted  to  know  was  whether  he  was  disposed  to  give  it  or  not.     At 


AT  LAST  IX  NEWGATE.  249 

length,  smiling  slightly,  he  replied,  that  he  would  rather  not  give 
it  then.  Being  asked  his  address,  he  gave  one  in  Edinburgh,  which 
appeared  to  be  only  audible  to  the  inspector,  but  it  was  understood 
to  be  in  Cumberland  Street.  The  inspector  followed  up  the  reply 
by  inquiring  his  business  or  profession.  To  that  again  he  at  first 
hesitated,  and  then  said,  ^'  Mercantile."  Being  asked  if  he  meant 
that  he  was  a  merchant,  he  replied,  after  a  short  pause,  in  the 
affirmative,  adding  that  he  was  out  of  business.  The  officers,  in 
whose  care  he  was,  showed  him  much  kindness,  and  as  he  was 
about  to  retire  for  the  night,  allowed  him  the  use  of  some  rugs  from 
among  his  luggage.  He  was  then  escorted  to  one  of  the  ordinary 
cells  of  the  Bow  Station,  in  which  to  spend  the  night,  and  had  a 
proper  guard  placed  over  him. 

After  the  lapse  of  fifteen  years,  I  can  read  with  a  good  deal 
of  equanimity,  the  account  of  my  arrest,  in  which  M'Kelvie 
figm^es  as  the  most  important  character — he,  at  the  time, 
indulging  in  much  self-glorification. 

On  arriving  in  London,  I  was  taken  to  the  Bow-street  Police 
Station  and  put  into  a  cell,  to  pass  a  sleepless  night,  and  about 
ten  the  next  morning,  made  my  first  appearance  in  the 
Mansion  House  before  Mayor  Sir  Sidney  Waterlow.  After 
some  preliminary  sparring  between  the  lawyers,  I  was  con- 
signed to  Newgate,  to  ruminate  upon  my  gradual  descent  into 
that  hades. 


Chapter  XXV. 


EXTRADITION  OF  AUSTIN  BTDWELL  FROM  CUBA  AND  GEORGE  McDONALD  FROM 
NEW  YORK  —  AUSTIN  ARRESTED  IN  HAVANA — A  "NEW  YORK  HERALD"  EDI- 
TORIAL—  SYMPATHY  WITH  "  FILLIBUSTERS  "  —  CABLE  DISPATCHES  TO  "THE 
HERALD  "and  "  THE  LONDON  TIMES  "  —  GENERAL  SICKLES'S  INTERVIEW  WITH 
SENOR  CASTELAR  AT  MADRID — BIDWELL  ESCAPES  —  RECAPTURE  —  HE  IS  SUR- 
RENDERED TO  THE  BRITISH  GOVERNMENT  —  ARRIVAL  IN  ENGLAND  —  McDONALD 
ARRIVES  IN  NEW  YORK — DETECTIVES  IRVING  AND  FARLEY  TRICK  SHERIFF 
JUDSON  JARVIS  —  BOARD  THE  "  THURINGIA "  AT  QUARANTINE — CURIOUS 
"search"  OF  McDONALD  —  SHERIFFS  JARVIS  AND  CURRY  TOO  LATE  —  NO 
BONDS  RECOVERED  —  SEIZE  WATCHES  AND  DIAMONDS  —  McDONALD  AT  LUDLOW 
STREET  JAIL  —  EXTRADITION  PROCEEDINGS  —  STARTLING  ARREST  OF  SUPERIN- 
TENDENT KELSO  AND  DETECTIVES  IRVING  AND  FARLEY  —  McDONALD'S  RIDE 
DOWN  BROADWAY  —  IN  FORT  COLUMBUS — SURRENDERED  TO  THE  BRITISH 
GOVERNMENT  —  EXIT  ON  STEAMSHIP  "MINNESOTA"  —  THE  "DOMINION'S  SELF- 
ISH   PROTECTION    OF    BANK    DEFAULTERS,     BOODLERS,"    ETC. 

IT  will  be  remembered  that  in  Chapter  XX  was  detailed 
the  imprudent  marriage  of  my  brother,  and  his  arrest 
at  Havana  while  on  his  wedding  jomniey. 

I  now  resume  the  story,  giving  in  this  chapter  some 
account,  from  contemporary  sources,  of  his  extradition  from 
Cuba  and  his  arrival  in  London. 

[Editorial  A'.  Y.  Herald,  March  29, 1873.] 

CUBAN   AFFAIRS  — BID  WELL'S    IMPRISONMENT. 

The  special  telegraph  advices  which  we  publish  to-day  in  refer- 
ence to  the  imprisonment  at  Havana  of  Bid  well,  one  of  the  parties 
accused  of  the  recent  forgeries  on  the  Bank  of  England,  are  very 
interesting,  touching  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Island  authorities  in 
this  matter.  It  appears  that  Bidwell  was  arrested  at  the  request 
of  the  British  government,  on  the  supposition  that  he  was  a  British 
subject;  but  it  is  represented  that  he  is  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  a  native  of  Michigan,  and  that  his  arrest  in 
Cuba  is  not  justified  by  any  extradition  treaty  with  England  nor  by 

(250) 


INTERNATIONAL    COMPLICATIONS.  251 

any  other  authority,  except  that  of  the  Captain-General,  whose  will 
over  the  Island  is  the  supreme  law.  If  it  can  be  estabhshed  that 
Bid  well  is  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  his  case  certainly  calls  for 
the  intervention  of  Mr.  Secretary  Fish.  The  prisoner,  it  seems, 
desires  a  transfer  to  New  York,  which  is  perfectly  natural;  hut  we 
suspect  that  the  international  difficulties  suggested,  touching  his  deten- 
tion in  Cuba,  will  not  materially  improve  his  chances  of  escape. 

Not  long  before  the  arrest  of  my  brother  in  Cuba,  the 
steamer  Virginia.,  an  American  vessel,  Tvas  captured  by  a 
Spanish  cruiser.  On  the  charge  of  being  "  fillibusters,"  the 
crew  and  all  persons  found  on  board  w^ere  shot.  Among 
these  Tvere  several  Americans.  The  United  States  govern- 
ment sent  for  the  Virginia  and  demanded  reparation  for  her 
capture,  and  indemnity  for  the  lives  of  the  Americans.  This 
was  the  cause  of  serious  international  complications,  which 
threatened  to  end  in  war.  It  was  this  state  of  affairs  referred 
to  in  the  italics  of  the  Herald  editorial  above  quoted,  which 
caused  his  final  surrender. 

There  is  no  longer  any  doubt  that  the  punctilious  Span- 
iards would  never  have  surrendered  Austin  Bidwell  to  the 
demand  of  the  British  government,  had  it  not  been  for  their 
posture  of  hostility  toward  the  United  States.  There  was 
considerable  ground  for  this  feeling  in  the  sympathy  shown 
in  some  parts  of  the  United  States  for,  and  assistance  ren- 
dered to,  the  Cuban  insurgents. 

It  will  be  perceived,  by  the  following  dispatch,  that  Austin 
was  supposed  to  be  a  British  subject. 

[Telegrams  to  the  New  York  Herald  of  29th,  reforred  to  in  above  editorial.] 

Havana,  March  26,  1873. 
The  man  Bidwell  was,  it  appears,  arrested  on  the  charge  of 
complicity  with  the  forgeries  on  the  Bank  of  England,  at  the 
request  of  the  British  government,  communicated  to  the  Captain- 
General  of  Cuba  by  the  Spanish  Ministers  in  London  and  Wash- 
ington, who  supposed  him  to  be  a  British  subject.  Bidwell  is,  on 
the  contrary,  an  American,  a  native  of  Michigan.  His  arrest  is 
not  justified  by  any  treaty  of  extradition  between  Spain,  England, 


252  VIOLATION  OF  LAWS. 

or  the  United  States.  Sucli  proceedings  could  be  carried  out  in 
no  other  country  than  Cuba,  where  the  Captain -General  does  not 
always  act  in  accordance  with  law.  Distinguished  lawyers  and 
judges  of  this  city,  in  conversation  with  the  Htrald  correspondent, 
denounce  the  act  as  being  utterly  illegal,  and  without  precedent, 
except  in  the  case  of  Argeumes,  in  the  year  1864. 

COMMON   LAW  AND   TREATY  SET   AT   DEFIANCE. 

The  gentlemen  also  declare  that  it  is  a  violation  of  the  laws  of 
Spain  and  of  the  treaty  stipulations  with  the  United  States,  and  in 
contempt  of  the  guarantees  of  the  law  of  1870  relative  to  foreigners. 
The  same  lawyers  and  judges  assert  that  it  w^ould  be  better  that  a 
delinquent  should  escape  than  that  so  bad  a  precedent  as  the  act  of 
delivery  of  Bidwell  would  make  should  be  established. 

THE   PRISONER'S    TREATMENT   AND    FEARS. 

Bidwell  has  been  now  seven  days  incommunicated  —  not  per- 
mitted to  see  a  lawyer  or  his  wife.  The  Herald  correspondent  has 
been  refused  permission  to  see  him. 

The  British  Vice-Consul  obtained,  by  compulsion,  the  sum  of 
$5,000  from  Mrs.  Bidwell,  in  United  States  five-twenties.  Com- 
plaints having  been  made,  the  Captain-General  ordered  that  the 
sum  should  be  deposited. 

Bidwell  is  afraid  that  there  exist  no  guarantees  for  a  due  and 
proper  aiiministration  of  justice  here.  He  has  expressed  his  desire 
to  be  sent  to  New  York. 

[Cable  dispatches  from  Havana  to  the  London  Times.'] 

New  York,  April  4,  1873. 
Great  efforts  are  being  made   by  the    lawyers  to  obtain  the 
release  of  Bidwell,  and  an  action  for  illegal  arrest  is  threatened. 

Havana,  April  4th. 

The  American  Consul  here  demands  from  the  Cuban  authorities 

the  release  of  the  prisoner  Bidwell,  alias  Warren,  on  the  ground 

that  he  is  an  American  citizen. 

Madrid,  April  8th. 

Gen.    Sickles   has   formally   notified   Senor   Castelar   that   the 

American  government  will  consent  to  the  surrender  to  the  British 

government  of  Bidwell,  now  in  custody  in  Havana,  upon  a  charge 

of  being  concerned  in  the  forgeries  upon  the  Bank  of  England. 


CABLE  DISPATCHES.  253 

Havana,  April  lOth. 

The  Britisli  Consul  continues  to  counteract  the  efforts  that  are 
being  made  to  prevent  the  extradition  of  Bidwell. 

Generals  Portello  and  Renegassi  have  been  relieved  of  their 
posts,  and  are  ordered  to  return  to  Spain.  (For  opposing  Austin 
Bidwell's  extradition). 

[By  cable  from  Havana  to  iV.  Y.  Herald,  April  13,  1873.] 

Bidwell,  the  alleged  Bank  of  England  forger,  escaped  yesterday 
by  jumping  over  the  balcony.  He  was  partly  dressed.  He  is  sup- 
posed to  be  hiding  in  this  city.  Bidwell's  Havana  friends,  seeing 
the  impossibility  of  counteracting  by  legal  means  the  efforts  of  the 
British  Consul  to  secure  his  extradition,  undoubtedly  planned  the 

affair. 

Havana,  April  14th. 

Bidwell  has  been  recaptured  on  the  seashore  twenty  miles  above 

Havana.     He  was  severely  bruised  in  the  hands  and  legs  while 

escaping  from  prison.      He  had  leaped   from  under  the  soldiers' 

bayonets,  from  the   Arsenal  second  story  into  the  crowded  street, 

and  got  clear  out  of  Havana  without  assistance. 

[By  cable  to  the  London  Times.'] 

Havana,  April  17,  1873. 
"While  Inspectors  Hayden  and  Green,  and  a  clerk  of  the  Bank 
of  England,  were  on  their  passage  from  New  York  to  Havana,  a 
notorious  thief,  named  "Wilson,  opened  the  detectives'  trunks  and 
extracted  some  money.  His  object  is  said  to  have  been  to  secure 
the  documents  relating  to  the  extradition  of  Bidwell.  "Wilson  has 
been  arrested  on  a  charge  of  burglary.  The  English  detectives 
and  the  British  Consul  have  completely  baffled  the  efforts  to  obtain 
the  release  of  Bidwell. 

[From  the  London  Times,  May  28,  1873.] 

Among  the  passengers  who  landed  at  Plymouth  yesterday  after- 
noon, from  the  Royal  Mail  Company's  steamship  Moselle,  were 
Austin  Bidwell,  alias  Warren,  in  charge  of  detectives  Sergeants 
Michael  Hayden  and  "William  Green,  of  the  city  police,  and  Mr. 
Curton,  private  detective  (of  Mr.  Pinkerton's  staff,  from  Chicago). 
They  were  joined  at  Plymouth  by  detective  Sergeant  John  Moss  of 
the  city  police,  who  had  come  down  from  London  the  previous 


254  ^^^   CANADIAN  COLONY. 

night  to  meet  the  steamer.  It  being  known  at  Plymouth  that  Bid- 
well  was  expected  from  Havana  in  the  Moselle,  a  large  number  of 
persons  assembled  on  Milbay  pier,  to  await  the  return  of  the  steam- 
tender  with  the  mail,  in  order  to  get  a  sight  of  the  prisoner,  and  so 
great  was  the  crowd  that  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  Bidwell 
and  his  escort  managed  to  reach  a  cab  and  were  driven  to  the  Duke 
of  Cornwall  Hotel,  adjoining  the  railway  station.  They  left  by  the 
7.45  p.  M.  mail  train  for  London.  A  large  crowd  was  present  to 
see  them  off.  Mr.  Good,  from  the  western  branch  of  the  Bank  of 
England,  who  went  to  Jamaica  to  identify  the  prisoner,  also  came 
home  in  the  Moselle,  and  went  on  in  the  steamer  to  Southampton, 
en  route  for  London.  Bidwell  will  be  taken  before  the  Lord  Mayor 
at  the  Justice-room  of  the  Mansion  House  this  morning. 

I  have  it  from  what  I  consider  the  best  authority,  that 
among  the  secret  stipulations  of  the  treaty  for  settling  the 
steamer  Virginia  affair  —  in  which  Great  Britain  had  a  hand 
—  was  one  in  effect  binding  the  United  States  government  to 
consent  that  Austin  might  be  delivered  to  the  British  author- 
ities by  the  Spanish  government. 

I  would  call  the  especial  attention  of  our  neighbors  of 
the  "  Dominion  "  to  the  foregoing.  On  this  occasion  it  was  an 
American  —  to  whom  the  laws  of  his  own  country  properly 
refused  protection,  after  the  committal  of  a  crime  abroad  — 
who  was  extradited  from  Cuba,  despite  the  fact  that  there 
was  no  extradition  treaty  between  Spain  and  England.  It 
makes  a  difference  whose  bull  is  gored. 

Long  previous  to  1873,  a  British  dependency  (or  inde- 
pendency?) has  been  a  safe  refuge  for  bank-defaulters, 
boodlers,  etc.,  from  the  United  States  —  and  this  because  of 
the  dishonest  money  they  squander  or  invest  in  the  "  Domin- 
ion." Short-sighted  policy!  Will  not  reflection  convince 
our  neighbors  that  seeing  criminal  "  exiles  "  strutting  about 
their  towns  in  stolen  plumes,  living  in  high  style,  and  squan- 
dering their  illicit  gains  in  divers  ways,  is  a  direct  incentive 
to  their  young  men  to  "  go  and  do  likewise  "  ?  Such  a  blind 
policy  is  sure  to  entail  its  own  retribution,  with  compound 


DETECTIVES    GO  DOWN  THE  BAT.  255 

interest,  and  even  now  we  have  a  Canadian  colony  of  the 
same  kidney  protected  by  the  starry  flag. 

In  Chapter  XXI  I  gave  a  sketch  of  McDonald's  flight  and 
embarkation  at  Havre  for  New  York.  As  soon  as  the  Thur- 
ingia  was  fairly  on  her  voyage  he  felt  comparatively  safe, 
believing  that  even  if  the  fact  transpired  that  he  was  one  of 
my  party,  it  would  be  impossible  to  extradite  him  from  New 
York. 

But  before  the  steamer  arrived  Mr.  Kelso,  then  superin- 
tendent of  the  New  York  City  police,  received  a  cablegram 
from  Inspector  Bailey  of  the  City  of  London  police,  with  full 
particulars,  and  at  once  detailed  Detectives  Irving  and  Farley 
to  meet  the  steamer  and  arrest  McDonald. 

At  the  same  time  the  law  firm  of  Blatchford,  Seward  & 
Da  Costa,  agents  for  the  Bank  of  England,  received  the  same 
information,  also  that  McDonald  had  a  large  sum  in  bonds 
and  other  valuables.  They  at  once  procured  a  writ  of  attach- 
ment from  the  Supreme  Court  which  they  confided  to  Sheriff 
Brennan  for  execution. 

Commissioner  Gutman  appointed  Detective  Irving  United 
States  Deputy  Marshal  to  serve  the  warrant  against  Mc- 
Donald. The  action  of  the  plaintiff's  attorneys  made  the 
police  officers  responsible  for  the  person  of  McDonald  on  the 
criminal  charge,  and  held  Sheriff  Brennan  responsible  for  the 
seizure  and  attachment  of  all  the  valuables  and  property 
found  upon  him.  It  became  important,  therefore,  that  the 
police  and  sheriff's  officers  should  act  jointly,  and  arrange- 
ments were  made  for  both  police  detectives  and  sheriff's 
deputies  to  go  together  down  the  bay  to  meet  the  incoming 
steamer.  Therefore,  Detectives  Farley  and  Irving,  Deputy 
Sheriff  Judson  Jarvis,  and  special  Deputy  Lawrence  Curry, 
went  down  the  bay  on  Tuesday,  March  18th,  on  board  the 
police  boat  Seneca,  and  prepared  to  board  her  from  the  quar- 
antine boat.  The  detectives  and  Deputy  Sheriff  Jarvis  had 
gone  ashore  for  this  purpose,  leaving  special  Deputy  Curry  on 
board  the  police  boat,  which  was  in  charge  of  a  sergeant. 


256  McDonald  picked  clean. 

The  detectives  before  going  aboard  the  quarantine  boat  urged 
Deputy  Sheriff  Judson  Jarvis  to  remain  on  shore  until  they 
sent  for  him,  alleging  that  they  feared  the  forger  might  divine 
the  object  of  their  visit,  and  make  away  with  the  bonds  which 
it  was  certain  he  had  on  his  person.  Their  real  object  was 
to  see  him  alone  first,  as  they  knew  he  would  confide  his  valu- 
ables to  them  for  safe-keeping.  Ponder  on  the  import  of  those 
italics.  This  the  deputy  declined  to  do,  and  went  aboard  the 
quarantine  boat  with  them,  but  on  attempting  to  board  the 
Thuringia  at  the  same  time  with  the  detectives,  Mr.  Jarvis 
was  prevented  by  Dr.  Moshier,  deputy  Health  Officer  in 
charge,  although  insisting  on  his  right  as  a  sheriff  serving  an 
order  of  the  Supreme  Court.  The  detectives  with  whom  the 
deputy  sheriff  was  acting  in  concert,  of  course,  made  no 
attempt  to  explain  to  the  Health  Officer,  but  hurrying  below 
got  from  Mac,  with  whom  they  were  well-acquainted,  all  the 
bonds  in  his  possession,  while  Deputy  Sheriff  Jarvis  was  thus 
prevented  from  executing  the  order  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

Meantime  special  Deputy  Curry,  on  board  the  police  boat, 
becoming  suspicious  from  the  long  delay  that  something  was 
wrong  on  board  the  Thuringia.,  requested  the  sergeant  to  run 
down  alongside  the  steamer,  and  a  rope  being  thrown  him,  he 
immediately  climbed  on  board.  Finding  that  his  superior 
had  been  detained  on  the  health  boat,  he  immediately  ran  to 
the  other  side,  and  assuming  authority,  ordered  the  boat  for- 
ward, and  Deputy  Sheriff  Jarvis  sprang  up  the  side  of  the 
vessel,  and  both  officers  at  once  went  below.  The  search  of 
McDonald,  of  course,  had  been  concluded,  when  the  sheriffs 
entered  the  state-room  and  made  the  attachment  of  what 
little  property  was  found.  This  consisted  of  about  ^10,000 
in  gold,  that  being  too  heavy  for  the  detectives  to  carry  away, 
and  it  would  have  been  dangerous  to  attempt  to  make  way 
with  the  watches  and  diamonds,  Mac  having  displayed  them 
on  the  voyage, —  two  gold  watches,  one  diamond  ring  weighing 
ten  karats  and  worth  probably  $10,000,  two  diamonds  weigh- 
ing four  and  one-sixteenth  karats,  and  one  diamond  weigh- 


KELSO,  FARLEY,  AND   IRVING  SURPRISED.  257 

ing  four  and  one-half  karats.  Not  a  single  bond  of  any 
description  was  found  by  the  sheriff,  and  only  a  few  gold 
coins  were  left  on  Mac's  person.  On  being  searched  a  second 
time  McDonald  laughed  and  said,  "  I'm  clean ;  you  can't 
prove  anything  on  me  ;  you  can't  send  me  back  to  England  on 
any  such  charge." 

In  order  to  throw  dust  in  the  eyes  of  the  sheriff,  the  detec- 
tives pretended  to  become  suspicious  of  others  on  board,  and 
at  their  sua"2:estion,  the  custom-house  officers  searched  the 
person  of  one  named  Philip  D'Artigue  who  had  come  aboard 
at  Havre,  and  who  had  been  frequently  in  conversation  with 
Mac  during  the  voyage.  It  was  rumored  on  board  that  he  had 
300,000  francs  on  his  person  when  he  started,  but  no  bonds  of 
any  description  or  money  were  found  on  him.  Other  passengers 
were  searched  but  none  of  the  bonds  were  found,  and  McDonald 
was  taken  to  the  Ludlow  Street  house-of-detention. 

After  depositing  the  captured  property  in  safe  keeping, 
Deputy  Sheriff  Jarvis  reported  the  seizure  that  had  been 
made  to  Messrs.  Blatchford,  Seward  &  Da  Costa.  Those 
lawyers  were  astonished  at  the  result  of  the  search,  which 
disappointed  their  well-grounded  expectations.  Inquiry  was 
made  b}^  them  into  the  circumstances  of  the  deputy  sheriff's 
detention,  and  they  asked  his  opinion  of  the  proceedings,  but 
this  he  declined  to  give. 

Finally,  after  consultation  among  themselves,  they  directed 
the  deputy  sheriff  to  serve  the  same  warrant  of  attachment 
he  had  served  upon  Mac,  upon  Detectives  Irving  and  Farley ; 
also  on  Superintendent  Kelso.  After  some  hesitation  and 
inquiry  of  his  own  counsel,  the  deputy  sheriff  found  it  was 
incumbent  upon  him  to  take  this  extraordinary  and  unusual 
proceeding.  He  therefore  repaired,  about  six  o'clock  p.  m.,  to 
the  office  of  the  superintendent,  and  immediately  served  an 
attachment  on  him  and  on  Detectives  Farley  and  Irving. 
The  service  of  the  writ  on  Superintendent  Kelso  was  a  great 
surprise  to  him.  This  service  rendered  all  three  subject  to 
examination  about  the  bonds. 
17 


258  EXTRADITION  PROCEEDINGS. 

During  the  extradition  proceedings  before  United  States 
Commissioner  Gutman,  Superintendent  Kelso  purged  himself 
and  his  subordinates,  Detectives  Farle}^  and  Irving  (who  skill- 
fully evaded  examination  on  the  ground  that  their  superior,. 
Superintendent  Kelso,  was  responsible  for  their  acts  and  must 
answer  for  them,  they  reporting  detective  services  only  to 
him),  from  the  implied  charge  of  having  appropriated  bonds, 
etc.,  by  making  oath  that  he  had  nothing  "  except  a  revolver 
taken  from  the  possession  of  the  said  George  McDonald." 

I  am  not  able  to  say  that  the  superintendent  was  in  the 
confidence  of  his  subordinates,  in  the  case  in  question;  but  I 
do  know,  on  the  best  authority,  that  the  two  detectives  did 
take  a  considerable  amount  of  United  States  bonds  from  Mac 
on  board  the  steamer,  and  that  the  whole  object  of  their 
maneuvering  to  prevent  the  deputy  sheriffs,  Judson  Jarvis 
and  Lawrence  Curry,  from  getting  on  board  the  steamer  at 
the  same  time  with  themselves,  was  for  the  express  purpose 
of  affording  them  that  opportunity.  I  could  give  some 
startling  particulars  in  regard  to  this  and  cognate  matters  — 
but  let  it  pass. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Archibald,  British  Consul,  made  a  demand  on 
the  part  of  his  government  for  the  surrender  of  McDonald, 
and  had  orders  to  aid  the  Bank  of  England  agents,  Messrs. 
Blatchford,  Seward  &  Da  Costa,  in  procuring  his  extradition. 
Mr.  J.  R.  Fellows,  the  present  District  Attorney  of  New  York 
City,  Charles  W.  Brooke,  and  Mr.  J.  R.  Dos  Passos  acted  as 
counsel  for  McDonald. 

The  legal  proceedings  lasted  from  the  20th  of  March  to 
the  5th  of  June,  1873.  The  array  of  counsel  on  both  sides 
made  it  a  forensic  contest  between  giants,  in  which  all  past 
history  was  invoked  for  precedents,  pro  and  con.  These  two 
extradition  cases  caused  international  complications,  in  which 
ambassadors  and  consuls  took  an  active  part.  I  have  the 
McDonald  case  complete  in  all  its  details,  but  not  the  space 
to  record  the  full  legal  proceedings. 

After  United   States   Commissioner  Gutman  had  finally 


IN  FORT  COLUMBUS.  259 

decided  to  surrender  him  to  the  demand  of  the  British 
government,  appeal  was  made  to  the  United  States  Circuit 
Court,  Judge  Woodruff,  then  to  the  Supreme  Court,  Judge 
Barrett,  before  whom  McDonald  was  brought  by  writs  of 
habeas  corpus ;  but  the  commissioner's  decision  was  sustained, 
McDonald  was  sent  to  Fort  Columbus  for  safe  keeping,  while 
counsel  were  vainly  arguing  on  new  writs  of  habeas  corpus 
and  certiorari^  and  before  any  conclusion  could  be  reached, 
he  was  hurried  away  by  his  custodians.  He  had  scarcely  time 
to  bid  good-bye  to  his  counsel,  when  he  was  handcuffed  to  a 
United  States  officer,  and  with  him  crowded  into  a  carriage  in 
Chambers  Street,  guarded  by  Chief  Deputy  Marshal  Kennedy 
and  Deputies  Robinson  and  Crowley,  and  driven  rapidly  down 
Broadway  to  the  Battery,  so  that  the  large  crowd  who  gathered 
to  witness  his  departure  from  the  metropolis  had  very  little 
time  to  feast  their  eyes. 

McDonald  was  lively  and  chatty  during  the  ride,  smoked 
his  Havana,  and  looked  through  the  windows  of  the  barouche 
as  freely  as  if  his  hands  were  unshackled.  He  was  transferred 
from  the  battery  to  Governor's  Island  by  a  tugboat,  and  sub- 
sequently handed  over  by  the  deputy  marshals  to  the  charge 
of  Major  J.  P.  Roy,  who  had  him  escorted  to  Fort  Columbus, 
and  saw  him  placed  in  one  of  the  casemates,  under  the  vigi- 
lance and  charge  of  two  guardsman  and  the  surveillance  of 
Deputy  Marshal  Robinson,  and  the  English  detective,  Mr. 
Webb.  Lieutenant  J.  W.  Bean  had  him  furnished  with  nec- 
essary requirements,  and  the  deputy  marshal  and  English 
detective  with  sleeping  apartments  near  by. 

The  followino^  morninir,  United  States  Marshal  Fiske,  with 
Deputies  Crowley  and  Purvis,  Mr.  Peter  Williams,  solicitor 
of  the  Bank  of  England,  Sergeant  Edward  Hancock,  a  Lon- 
don detective.  Deputy  Marshal  Colfax,  and  others,  boarded  the 
steam-tug  P.  C.  Sehultze  at  the  Battery,  and  steamed  across 
to  Governor's  Island.  At  half-past  ten  o'clock.  Captain  J.  W. 
Bean,  on  post  at  the  fort,  received  through  Major  J.  P.  Roy 
the  following  order  from  United  States  Marshal  Fiske : 


260  THE  U.  S.  MARSHAL'S  ORDER. 

Major  J.  P.  Roy,   United  States  Army,  Commanding  Fort   Columbus : 
Sir,  —  You  will  please  deliver  to  Deputy  United  States  Marshal 
John  Robinson,   the  prisoner  George  McDonald,  now  in  custody, 
and  oblige,  Oliver  Fiske,    United  States  Mar&lial. 

On  receipt  of  the  above  official  notice  Captain  Bean  pre- 
pared to  deliver  up  the  prisoner  to  the  charge  of  United  States 
Marshal  Fiske  and  his  party,  who  had  by  this  time  arrived  at 
Fort  Columbus,  and  were  waiting  at  the  doors  of  the  casemate. 
The  sentries  paced  the  iron  balconies  with  uninterrupted 
attention  to  dut}^,  apparently  unconcerned  about  the  exigency 
on  hand. 

McDonald  immediately  recognized  his  visitors  and  un- 
derstood the  object  of  their  visit,  greeting  them  cordially  as 
they  entered  the  gloomy  corridor.  He  looked,  as  usual,  in 
good  spirits,  with  some  slight  furrows  of  trouble  and  care 
upon  his  forehead,  and  a  sort  of  distressing  and  affected  mood 
of  indifference  in  his  deportment. 

Captain  J.  W.  Bean  read  to  him  the  order  of  United 
States  Marshal  Fiske  to  Major  J.  P.  Roy,  and  then  delivered 
him  over  to  United  States  Marshal  Fiske's  charge,  with  whom 
he  descended  the  steps  fi-om  the  balcony,  of  the  fort,  and 
marched,  with  a  deputy  at  either  side,  through  the  tiled  path- 
ways and  groved  and  shaded  avenues,  to  the  wharf  at  the 
other  end  of  the  island,  where  the  Sclmltze  was  awaiting  his 
arrival.  A  large  crowd  of  spectators,  soldiers,  and  civilians 
lined  the  wharf,  lingering  anxiously  to  see  McDonald  "  off." 
But  Mac  walked  very  leisurely,  smoked,  laughed,  and  appeared 
in  a  state  of  unaccountable  good  humor.  He  reached  the 
Sclmltze  barge,  however,  in  due  time,  shook  hands  with  the 
deputies,  marshals,  sergeants,  and  detectives,  and  then  went 
on  board,  and  entered  into  conversation  of  some  trivial  kind 
with  Messrs.  Williams,  Hancock,  and  Webb. 

It  was  nearly  eleven  o'clock  when  the  Schidtze  steamed 
away  from  Governor's  Island  wharf  and  whistled  and  rattled 
down  the  bay  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  Minnesota^  which  lay 
at  anchor  during  the  forenoon  near  pier  46,  North  River,  and 


A  WEASEL  ASLEEP.  261 

did  not  sail  until  some  minutes  after  twelve  o'clock.  The 
Schultze  meantime  waited,  steaming  around  the  lower  bay 
until  the  Minnesota  arrived.  It  was  after  half-past  one  o'clock. 
The  sun  was  burning  hot,  and  the  browned  and  florid  com- 
plexion of  all  showed  its  effects.  The  steam-tug  neared  the 
bulky  and  huge  vessel,  and  McDonald  was  finally  taken  on 
board  by  United  States  Marshal  Fiske  and  Deputy  Marshals 
Eobinson,  Crowley,  and  Colfax,  and  given  into  the  custody  of 
the  English  detectives,  Sergeants  Webb  and  Hancock,  who  in 
return  gave  the  usual  receipt  to  Marshal  Fiske. 

For  the  present,  I  leave  Mac  on  the  Atlantic,  sailing 
swiftly  eastward,  to  meet  his  terrible  doom. 

A  fitting  finale  to  these  remarkable  extradition  cases  will 
be  tlie  following  adventure,  in  which  one  of  the  English  de- 
tectives figured  rather  ingioriously. 

The  three  Bow-Street  officers,  Inspectors  Hayden,  Han- 
cock, and  Webb,  expressed  a  desire  to  detectives  Irving  and 
Farley  to  be  shown  the  sights  of  New  York.  Accordingly, 
these,  acting  in  an  unofficial  capacity,  accompanied  their  Eng- 
lish visitors  upon  a  night's  round  of  the  most  notorious  resorts. 
Previous  to  starting,  however,  the  English  officers  were 
advised  to  leave  their  watches  and  other  valuables  at  the 
hotel,  lest  they  should  be  stolen  during  the  excursion.  But 
Hayden,  who  was  to  sail  for  Havana  a  few  days  later  to 
arrest  Bi dwell,  scorned  the  idea,  and  set  out  for  his  night's 
amusement. 

Towards  morning  he  became  sleepy,  and  taking  a  nap,  he 
subsequently  discovered  that  he  had  been  robbed,  not  only  of 
his  watch  and  pocketbook,  but  also  of  the  papers  for  the 
extradition  of  Bid  well,  which  he  had  foolishly  carried  in  his 
pocket.  Of  course,  he  was  greatly  dismayed  at  the  loss  of 
these  important  documents,  but  they  were  returned  to  him  by 
Superintendent  Kelso,  who  had  received  them  from  Capt. 
Leary  of  the  City  Hall  precinct.  They  had  been  surrepti- 
tiously left  at  the  station-house  on  the  day  following  the  rob- 
bery.    The  watch  and  pocketbook  were  not  recovered. 


Chapter  XXVI. 


FIRST  NIGHT  IN  NEWGATE  —  GOVERNOR  JONAS  —  EXERCISE  AT  NEWGATE  —  DR. 
KENEALY  —  MR.  GEORGE  LEWIS  —  DAVID  HOWELL,  A  "PATTERN"  SOLICITOR  — 
A  FATAL  CONCESSION  ON  MY  PART  —  DON'T  "  SWOP  HORSES  WHILE  CROSSING 
A  stream"  —  HOWELL  "FEES"  BARRISTERS  FOR  US — HIS  "MANAGEMENT" 
OF  OUR  CASE  —  HOWELL  "  HOLDS  "  MY  DIAMOND  STUDS  — 108  WITNESSES  — 
VISITORS  AT  NEWGATE  —  HOWELL'S  "BENEVOLENT"  CALLS  —  MISTAKEN  IDEN- 
TIFICATION—  LONDON  ALDERMEN  —  ANOTHER  PHASE  OF  "LIFE  IN  NEWGATE," 
FROM  "THE  LONDON  TIMES"  —  CAGED  ANIMALS  —  ALFRED  DE  ROTHSCHILD 
AND  ONE  OF  HIS  "FAMILIARS" — VISIT  FROM  THE  RUSSIAN  PRINCE  IMPERIAL, 
THE  PRESENT  CZAR  —  LORD  MAYOR  WATERLOW  AGAIN  —  THE  PRINCE'S  RETI- 
NUE —  I   CONTEMPLATE   RETURNING  HIS   CALL  AT   ST.    PETERSBURGH. 

TO  be  sure,  I  was  not  to  be  hanged,  as  was  the  man  at 
that  moment  sitting  on  the  bench  in  the  ''  condemned 
cell"  in  the  same  ward.  But  that  first  night  in  Newgate!  A 
sleepless  one,  indeed  —  given  up  to  retrospections  and  vain 
regrets.  I  at  last  had  reached  that  dread  abode  of  which  I 
had  read  so  much ;  that  place,  the  scene  of  so  many  horrors 
in  the  dim  and  misty  past,  whose  history,  extending  over  a 
period  of  eight  hundred  years  —  one  long  record  of  crime  — 
had  rendered  the  very  name  infamous.  While  lying  restless 
on  the  pallet,  with  closed  eyes,  my  mind  wandered  in  a  chaos 
until  I  almost  fancied  myself  the  victim  of  an  oppressive 
nightmare.  Opening  them  upon  the  cheerless  surroundings, 
as  seen  by  the  gas-light  shining  dimly  through  the  glass  plate 
imbedded  in  the  wall,  dissipated  the  illusion,  and  the  whole 
horror  of  my  position  surged  anew  through  my  seething  brain. 
Toward  morning,  dropping  off  into  fitful  slumbers,  I  dreamed 
of  happier  days,  only  to  awake  each  time  with  a  start,  to 
realize  more  fully  the  degradation  I  had  brought  upon  myself. 
The  next  morning  the  governor  (warden  he  would  be 
called  in  the  States)  of  Newgate,  Mr.  Jonas,  since  dead,  came 

(262) 


BOARD  AND  LODGING. 


263 


into  my  cell  and  said  that  if  I  did  not  wish  to  live  on  the  jail 
fare,  I  could  have  food  hrought  in  from  a  restaurant,  to  the 
amount  of  half  a  crown  per  day  —  thirty  cents'  worth  —  at 


CONDEMNED    TO    BE    HANGED. 

my  own  cost.  I  thought  this  rather  a  small  allowance,  but 
Mr.  Jonas  explained  that  the  jail  regulations  permitted  no 
more. 

Governor  Jonas  also  informed  me  that  in  anticipation  of 
my  arrival  he  had  put  a  cot  bed  in  the  cell  for  me  to  sleep 
on,  instead  of  the  sailor's  hammock,  which  hangs  from  the 
side  walls,  and  which,  afterwards,  I  found  so  difficult  a  con- 
trivance to  sleep  in,  and  so  easy  to  fall  out  of.  Soon  after  I 
was  taken  to  the  doctor,  who  asked  me  if  there  was  anything 
he  could  do  for  me ;  but  I  declined  his  services,  with  thanks. 
In  the  afternoon  I  was  taken  into  the  inner  court,  (see  illus- 
tration, page  33),  for  an  hour's  exercise,  and  a  motley  crew 
they  were,  walking  round  and  round  the  court.  AVhile  there, 
detectives    came   in  every  day  to  see  if   they  could   detect 


264 


AGAIN  BEFORE   THE  LORD   MAYOR. 


among  the  "new  chums"  any  old  offenders,  and  seldom  failed 
to  call  out  several,  as  shown  in  the  following  cut. 

Not  knowing  any  solicitor  in  London,  I  sent  for  George 
Lewis,  whose  name  1  had  seen  in  the  newspapers  in  connec- 
tion with  criminal  trials.  The  next  day  Noyes  and  myself 
were  again  before  the  Lord  Mayor  at  the  Mansion  House,  and 
after  some  sparring  between  Dr.  Kenealy  and  Mr.  G.  Lewis 
on  our  belialf,  and  Mr.  Freshfield  on  the  part  of  the  Bank,  we 
were  once  more  remanded  to  our  cells  in  Newgate. 


A    DETECTIVE    IDENTIFYING    OLD    OFFENDERS    AT    NEWGATE. 

As  some  of  my  readers  may  not  understand  the  distinction 
between  solicitors  and  barristers,  it  may  be  well  to  explain 
that  the  solicitor  takes  the  case  and  transacts  all  the  business 
connected  with  it.  A  barrister  is  the  lawyer  who  is  employed 
by  the  solicitor  to  argue  and  conduct  the  case  in  court.  He 
does  not  come  in  direct  contact  with  the  prisoner,  but  gets 
his  instructions  from  the  solicitor  —  all  this  being  different 
from  the  system  pursued  in  our  own  country. 

When  Noyes  found  himself  so  unexpectedly  in  the  grasp 
of  the  British  Lion,  not  knowing  any  other  solicitor,  he  sent 


ABE'S   ADVICE   DISREGARDED.  265 

for  Howell,  the  man  who  had  charged  him  so  exorbitant  a  fee 
for  the  articles  of  agreement  between  himself  and  "  Horton." 
It  was  precisely  this  that  prevented  me  from  sending  for  him, 
on  the  principle  that  "  a  straw  shows  which  way  the  wind 
blows,"  and  it  would  have  been  well  if  on  this  and  other 
occasions  I  had  "  stuck  to  my  text." 

Although,  very  properly,  talking  was  by  the  Newgate 
rules  prohibited,  still,  like  many  other  prison  "prohibitions," 
this  was  evaded.  Noyes  being  with  me  in  the  same  court- 
yard at  exercise,  asked  me  to  give  up  Mr.  Lewis  and  employ 
Howell,  so  that  we  could  communicate  safely  with  each  other 
through  him.  To  this  I  demurred,  because  my  one  interview 
with  the  former  gentleman,  together  with  his  admirable  con- 
duct upon  the  occasion  of  our  first  examination  at  the  Man- 
sion House,  had  convinced  me  that  he  was  not  only  a  skillful 
but  also  a  straightforward  lawyer.  However,  Noyes  arranged 
with  Howell  to  have  me  called  into  the  consulting-room.  On 
entering,  I  saw  before  me  an  under-sized,  spare  man,  with  a 
sandy  complexion,  red  hair,  small,  covetous  eyes,  and  the  gen- 
eral air  of  a  Shylock  ;  and  when  he  spoke,  it  was  in  a  squeaky 
voice.  After  some  preliminaries,  he  began  to  insinuate 
various  things  against  Mr.  Lewis,  speaking  of  him  as  that 
"  sheeney  "  (Jcav),  etc.  Of  course  the  strain  of  the  previous 
days  had  somewhat  affected  my  judgment,  and  to  oblige 
Noyes  I  finally  agreed  to  transfer  my  case  into  his  hands. 
And  a  fatal  concession  it  was. 

I  have  often  wondered  since,  what  possessed  me  to  "  swop 
horses  while  crossing  the  stream,"  especially  as  I  had  that 
famous  saying  of  "  Honest  old  Abe  "  in  mind  at  the  moment. 
Mr.  Lewis  would  have  guarded  against  the  occurrences  which 
caused  us  to  get  the  life  sentences. 

At  this  juncture  another  brother,  John  Bidwell,  an  honest 
man,  arrived  in  England,  and  brought  with  him  some  bonds 
—  United  States  seven-thirties  —  to  use  in  our  defense.  Not 
being  posted  in  money  matters,  he  placed  84,000  in  Howell's 
hands  for  him  to  sell,  and  use  the  proceeds  in  engaging  bar- 
risters of  the  highest  standing  for  our  defense. 


266  TRICKS  OF  A  PETTIFOGGER. 

On  one  of  Howell's  daily  visits  to  Newgate  to  see  us,  he 
sounded  me  as  to  the  price  1  thought  he  ought  to  receive  for 
the  bonds.  Upon  my  asking  him  what  he  could  sell  them 
for,  he  said  he  had  credited  them  at  a  price  which  was  thirty 
per  cent,  under  the  market  rate.  I  soon  undeceived  him  as 
to  his  idea  of  our  ignorance  on  that  point,  by  informing  him 
of  the  fact  that  John  had  sold,  by  my  direction,  since  the 
14,000  was  put  into  his  hands,  another  lot  of  bonds  for  the 
full  market  price.  This  incident  is  only  an  introduction 
to  others  regarding  this  "  pattern  "  solicitor,  the  reading  of 
which  will,  I  think,  please  and  amuse  Mr.  Freshfield,  the 
Bank  of  England  solicitor,  and  the  barristers  Avhom  Mr. 
Howell  engaged  to  defend  us. 

After  he  had  received  the  $4,000,  and  X300  Mr.  Lewis 
had  paid  into  his  hands,  he  applied  in  open  court  for  an 
allowance  for  our  defense,  to  be  paid  out  of  funds  taken  away 
from  us,  on  the  ground  that  he  had  received  nothing  from  us, 
and  consequently  could  not  pay  the  barristers.  Accordingly 
the  judge  ordered  that  XlOO  for  each  one  of  us  four  should 
be  refunded.  We  had  directed  Solicitor  Howell  to  secure  the 
services  of  barristers  who  stood  high  in  their  profession,  such 
as  Mr.  Powell,  Q.  C.  (Queen's  Counsel),  Mr.  Bcsley,  Mr. 
Mclntire,  Q.  C,  Mr.  Moody,  Mr.  Ribton,  and  Mr.  Hollings; 
and  to  pay  the  Q.  Cs.  each  XlOO  or  XloO  fees,  and  the  others 
in  proportion.  During  the  trial  I  ascertained  that  Howell 
had,  instead  of  payment,  enlisted  their  sympathies,  and  on 
the  ground  that  he  had  only  the  <£300  allowed  by  the  court 
to  the  three  of  us  whom  he  represented  —  McDonald  having 
wisely  secured  the  services  of  an  honorable  solicitor,  St.  John 
Wentner  —  induced  them  to  work  almost  for  nothing. 

We  being  foreigners,  and  the  case  an  important  one,  the 
barristers  stepped  over  the  usual  bounds  and  took  suggestions 
directly  from  us,  an  example  of  which  may  be  seen  in  the 
illustration,  page  49,  in  which  McDonald  is  speaking  with 
his  barrister,  Mr.  Straight.  They  are  very  good  likenesses  of 
the  lawyer  and  client  in  1873. 


FURTHER  TRICKS.  267 


Before  being  arrested,  I  had  sent  Mr.  George  Lewis  <£300, 
to  use  in  the  defense  of  Noyes.  To  show  the  difference 
between  Mr.  Lewis  and  Howell — who  spoke  disparagingly  of 
him  and  took  the  meanest  course  to  get  my  case  out  of  his 
hands,  as  previously  mentioned  —  when  Mr.  Lewis  ascertained 
that  Noyes  had  already  sent  for  Howell,  he  paid  over  to  the 
latter  the  X300,  instead  of  showing  my  note  to  Noyes,  which 
would  have  secured  the  case  and  the  £300  to  himself.  It 
will  be  seen  by  the  above  that  at  the  time  Solicitor  Howell 
applied  for  an  allowance  of  money,  he  had  above  <£  1,000  in 
his  hands,  which,  with  the  £300  allowed  by  the  court,  made 
.£1,300,,  the  greater  part  of  which  he  applied  to  his  own  use 
and  benefit,  paying  out  but  a  small  part  of  it  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  proper  defense.  He  managed  the  case  on  our  side, 
according  to  my  observations,  exactly  as  Mr.  Freshfield  would 
have  desired  in  order  to  carry  out  the  latter's  theory,  exon- 
erating the  Bank  managers  from  a  charge  of  neglect,  etc.,  as 
elsewhere  explained. 

A  copy  of  the  book  of  depositions  taken  before  the  Lord 
Mayor  was  given  to  me  by  Solicitor  Howell,  with  the  request 
that  I  would  memorandum  on  the  broad  margin  left  for  the 
purpose,  any  criticisms  of  the  evidence  I  might  wish  to  make 
for  the  guidance  of  the  lawyers.  Accordingly  I  worked  at  it 
from  the  close  of  the  examination,  the  2d  of  July,  during 
a  month,  and  showed  where  the  witnesses  against  me  had 
contradicted  themselves  —  engravers  swearing  they  had  en- 
graved letters  which  appeared  on  the  false  bills,  that  I  could 
have  proved  another  had  actually  done,  etc.  —  so  that  their 
evidence  must  have  been  thrown  out.  Yet  Solicitor  Howell 
suppressed  all  this.  I  also  gave  him  an  order  for  a  set  of 
diamond  studs,  valued  at  $1,000,  to  hold  for  me,  and  he  has 
"  held "  them  ever  since.  A  few  moments  previous  to  the 
sentence  I  ascertair^ed  that  he  had  received  them,  and  was 
then  wearing  them  in  his  shirt-front.  They  were  set  in  black 
enamel,  and  doubtless  our  barristers  whom  he  defrauded  out 
of  their  just  fees  may  have  since  observed  what  a  sparkling 


2(38  *  BUSINESS  IN  THE  JAILV 

light  in  the  profession  he  had  suddenly  become.  These  and 
other  circumstances  convinced  me,  before  the  eight  days  trial 
at  the  Old  Bailey  was  half  over,  that  Solicitor  Howell  was 
playing  into  the  hands  of  the  prosecution,  and,  to  prevent 
discovery  of  his  malappropriation  of  money  and  valuables  to 
the  amount  of  'flO,000,  connived  to  get  us  put  out  of  the  way 
for  life  —  especially  me,  whom  he  feared  had  penetrated  his 
desio:ns. 

All  this  was  so  clear  that  on  the  seventh  day  of  the  trial 
I  determined  to  get  up  in  open  court  and  expose  the  whole 
matter,  but  on  taking  counsel  with  one  of  the  barristers  he 
dissuaded  me  from  my  purpose.  I  hope  that  he  used  the 
information  I  then  gave  him  to  extract  from  Solicitor  Howell 
just  fees  for  himself  and  his  brother  barristers. 

It  w^as  Solicitor  Howell  who  gave  Governor  Jonas  infor- 
mation, exaggerating  something  I  said  to  him,  thus  causing 
the  great  scare  during  the  trial  about  an  alleged  plan  of 
escape. 

During  the  five  horrible  months  I  was  awaiting  trial,  it 
was  a  great  relief  to  be  called  out  of  my  cell  into  the  consult- 
ing-room every  day  to  pass  five  or  ten  minutes  with  Solicitor 
Howell,  and  for  a  long  time  my  opinion  of  his  character  as 
first  formed  was  modified  by  such  a  proof  of  his  considerate 
kindness.  But  after  he  had  made  about  one  hundred  visits  I 
ascertained  that  he  was  charging  ten  dollars  each  visit, 
though  I  had  on  several  occasions  endeavored  to  ascertain 
whether  he  was  charging  for  them,  but  was  put  off  with  a 
laugh  and  the  remark  :  "  0,  I  have  business  in  the  jail." 

It  was  a  relief  to  be  called  out  of  my  cell,  no  matter  for 
what  purpose.  Upon  several  occasions  I  was  turned  out  into 
the  yard  with  a  dozen  other  prisoners,  as  shown  in  illustra- 
tion, page  65,  in  order  that  a  person  or  persons  should  be 
compelled  to  point  out  from  among  a  number  the  one  against 
whom  he  was  to  testify,  or  whom  he  accused  of  some  offense. 
Of  course  the  above  way  is  a  fair  one  to  accused  and  accuser, 
and  is  the  usual  plan  in  England ;  but  in  my  own  case,  on 


NEWGATE  RESTRICTIONS.  269 

more  than  one  occasion,  some  one  of  the  one  hundred  and 
eight  witnesses  were  brought  to  identify  me  while  I  stood  in 
the  dock  at  the  Mansion  House,  many  of  whom  professed  to 
having  seen  us  but  once  or  twice  several  weeks  or  months 
previously. 

Another  great  relief  from  the  monotony  of  my  cell  was 
the  advent  of  a  visitor.  In  the  illustration,  page  81,  are 
seen  the  prisoners  with  their  faces  pressed  against  the  wire 
grating  —  the  meshes  being  about  one-quarter  inch  square  — 
talking  to  their  friends  who  have  come  to  visit  them,  the 
space  between  the  two  wire  gratings  being  four  feet.  An 
officer  stands  at  one  end  or  paces  back  and  forth  in  this  space 
to  prevent  any  small  article  or  written  communication  from 
being  passed  across  by  use  of  a  slender  cane  or  wire,  etc. 
But  I  found  that  there,  as  elsewhere,  a  judicious  application 
of  "  backsheesh  "  would  enable  me  to  pass  to  my  relative  such 
private  instructions  as  I  did  not  wish  other  eyes  to  see.  I 
took  pleasure  in  evading  such  an  unjust  restriction,  pre- 
venting prisoners  who  had  not  even  been  examined,  indicted, 
tried,  or  convicted  —  in  many  cases  only  held  on  suspicion  — 
from  communicating  freely  with  their  friends.  Prisoners  are 
not  permitted  to  see  the  newspapers,  and  are  kept  wholly  in 
the  dark  as  to  what  is  going  on  in  the  world,  just  the  same  as 
if  they  were  already  convicts. 

In  our  own  country  all  this  is  different.  A  prisoner  con- 
fined in  jail  awaiting  trial  is  permitted  all  proper  indulgences, 
such  as  visits  without  listeners,  food,  fruit,  newspapers,  etc. 
Even  in  the  Tombs,  the  Xew  York  city  prison  —  that  well- 
named  sink  of  iniquity  —  visitors  are  admitted  to  stand  at 
the  cell  door,  as  s-een  in  the  illustration,  and  talk  to  their 
heart's  content.  The  bars  leave  spaces  of  four  or  five  inches 
square  so  that  the  visitor  can  at  least  squeeze  the  fingers  of 
the  incarcerated  friend.  To  show  the  difference :  Being 
rather  dyspeptic  I  felt  the  need  of  some  fruit,  and  when  Gov- 
ernor Jonas  made  his  round  one  day  I  asked  him  to  let  some 
fruit  be  purchased  for  me,  with  some  of  my  money  then  in  his 


270  ^N   UNFRUITFUL  REQUEST. 

possession.  He  informed  me  that  it  was  not  in  his  power  to 
grant  my  request,  and  referred  me  to  the  visiting  magistrate 
—  I  think  Alderman  Sir  Robert  Garden,  whose  likeness  is 
shown  in  the  court  scene,  page  97  —  saying  that  he  would 
bring  him  to  me  when  he  came  to  the  prison.  A  day  or  two 
later  my  cell  door  was  thrown  open  and  in  stepped  the  gov- 
ernor accompanied  by  the  alderman.  I  stated  my  want,  and 
after  some  conversation,  he  wound  up  by  saying :  ''  I  can  see 
that  you  are  a  gentleman,  and  I  will  talk  to  the  governor 
about  it,  but  such  a  thing  has  not  hitherto  been  permitted." 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  nature  of  his  subsequent 
conversation  with  Mr.  Jonas,  I  got  no  fruit,  and  I  think  I 
have  remarked  elsewhere  that  from  the  moment  of  my  arrest 
to  my  discharge,  nearly  fifteen  years  later,  the  only  "  fruit "  I 
ever  had  consisted  of  potatoes  and  cabbage.  Think  of  that, 
ye  gourmands,  and  beware ! 

The  following  extract  from  the  Londo7i  Tunes  of  July  2, 
1873,  illustrates  another  phase  of  life  in  Newgate: 

(Extract  from  the  last  day's  examination  before  the  Lord  Mayor.) 

THE  PRISONERS,  GEORGE  AND  AUSTIN  BIDWELL, 

EDWIN  NOYES,  AND  GEORGE  McDONALD, 

AT  THE  MANSION  HOUSE. 

The  prisoner  George  Bidwell  said  he  had  an  application  to  make 
to  his  Lordship  (Mayor  Waterlow).  He  had  now  been  three 
months  in  Newgate,  undergoing  the  most  rigorous  solitary  con- 
finement, and  on  twenty-three  occasions  he  had  been  pilloried  in  that 
dock.  His  position  was  greatly  saddened  by  the  fact  that  one  who 
was  so  near  and  dear  to  him  as  his  brother  was  should  have  been 
placed  at  his  side  on  the  same  charge,  and  under  circumstances 
which  he  desired  to  say  were  caused  by  himself  alone.  His  brother 
was  many  years  his  junior,  and  owing  to  family  misfortunes,  he 
and  several  others  had  been  placed,  when  quite  young,  under  his 
charge  (G.  B's).  He  found,  according  to  the  rules  of  Newgate,  two 
persons  were  sometimes  permitted  to  occupy  the  same  cell  during 
some  part  of  the  day,  and  he  asked  that  the  privilege  be  granted  to 
him  and  his  brother.     He  appealed  to  his  Lordship  that  this  last 


PRIS O.XERS'   APPL ICA  TIONS. 


271 


"boon  —  this  last  gleam  of  sunshine  which  they  might  ever  be  per- 
mitted to  enjoy,  —  might  be  granted,  —  remembering  that,  in  case 
of  conviction,  they  would  be  forever  separated  from  each  other.  It 
would  be  impossible  for  him  to  long  survive  the  imprisonment  which 
would  follow  a  conviction.     Austin  also  made  the  same  request. 


VISITOR  TRYIXG  ON  THE  HANGMAn's    IRON   PINIONING  BELT  AT  NEWGATE. 

The  Lord  Mayor  sai,d  it  rested  not  with  him.  but  with  the  visit- 
ing justices,  who  were  this  month  Aldermen  Sir  William  Rose  and 
Lusk. 


272  VISITORS. 

The  prisoner  Noyes  applied  that  a  small  ring  given  him  by  his 
sister  before  he  left  America  should  be  returned  to  him.  He  had 
not  applied  before  because  he  expected  to  be  free.  The  Lord 
Mayor  ordered  it  to  be  returned  to  him." 

In  accordance  with  the  Lord  Mayor's  statement  I  had  ap- 
plied to  the  alderman  above  named,  but  my  application  failed 
—  they  avoiding  a  direct  refusal  by  an  "  I'll  see  about  it," 
which  I  afterward  found  to  be  the  hackneyed  phrase  regard- 
ing most  applications.  From  July  2d,  until  August  18th,  we 
were  kept  rigorously  secluded,  and  though  we  were  to  be 
tried  together,  could  have  no  opportunity  for  concerting 
a  mutual  defense.  Had  we  been  permitted  to  be  together  a 
few  hours  more  or  less  every  day,  I  could  have  prevented 
Austin  from  being  taken  in  by  the  warders'  imaginary  plan  of 
escape  from  Newgate.  We  were  not  even  permitted  to  exer- 
cise in  the  same  court-yard  together. 

I  was  "favored"  —  people  are  curious  to  see  caged  ani- 
mals of  all  descriptions  —  with  numerous  calls,  not  of  the 
exact  kind  depicted  in  the  accompanying  cut,  where  the 
gentleman  is  trying  on  the  hangman's  irons  for  the  "  amuse- 
ment" of  the  ladies,  but  from  some  of  the  "  great  guns  "  of 
the  universe  ;  men,  but  for  wdiose .  aid  the  world  would  cease 
to  revolve,  judging  by  the  way  some  people  cringe  to  their 
superiors  in  wealth — perhaps  inferiors  in  all  other  qualifi- 
cations. 

One  day,  soon  after  my  arrival  in  Newgate,  a  warder 
unlocked  my  cell  door,  and  informed  me  that  I  was  wanted 
in  the  consulting-room.  Upon  entering,  I  saw  two  men  of  the 
most  opposite  appearance — evidently  a  god  and  a  demon. 
Alfred  de  Rothschild  was  a  well-built  man,  above  the  medium 
height,  with  auburn  hair,  blue  eyes,  and  a  rather  pleasing 
expression  of  countenance,  save  that  he  looked  as  though  he 
had  been  up  late  nights.  He  had  the  air  of  a  gentleman,  and 
I  found  him  possessed  of  the  manners  and  language  charac- 
teristic of  one,  whatever  his  worldly  circumstances.  He  was 
seated  near  one  end  of  the  desk  which  ran  across  the  room 


A  CURKIDUR  OF  THE  TOMBS,   NEW  YORK. 


MAN  AND   MONSTER.  273 

opposite  the  door.  Seated  at>  the  opposite  end  was  an  under- 
sized man  with  a  face  on  him  such  as  I  had  never  seen.  He 
was  evidently  one  of  the  "  familiars "  or  followers  —  the 
usually  unseen  "  shadows "  and  protectors  —  with  whom 
money  and  other  kings  have,  in  all  times,  been  obliged  to 
surround  themselves.  His  face  was  of  an  exaggerated  He- 
brew type,  his  nose  an  eagle's  beak,  the  eyes  prominent, 
large,  black,  and  lustrous,  with  very  arching  brows — the 
whole  expressive  of  a  diabolical  cunning  which  could  only 
belong  to  a  Faust  and  a  Mephistopheles  combined.  His  one 
rapid  penetrating  glance  at  me  as  I  entered  the  door,  evi- 
dently satisfied  him  that  it  would  be  safe  to  let  me  ap- 
proach and  speak  with  his  master  face  to  face.  At  the 
moment,  not  taking  in  the  object  of  his  presence,  without 
halting  I  took  a  chair  by  the  side  of  Mr.  de  Rothschild. 
The  wardens  stood  outside,  covertly  peering  in  through  the 
sash  which  formed  the  walls  of  the  room,  curious  to  fathom 
the  design  of  a  visit  from  so  great  a  money-king.  The  pre- 
cise object  of  his  visit  I  do  not  remember,  but  I  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  occasion  to  see  whether  anything  could  be 
done  to  relieve  Noyes  and  my  brother  Austin  from  the 
probable  consequences  of  their  connection  with  McDonald 
and  myself. 

During  the  interview,  I  said  :  "  Mr.  Rothschild,  I  believe 
most  other  men  placed  in  the  same  circumstances,  would  have 
done  much  as  I  have.  I  was  brought  up  honestly,  and  the 
greater  part  of  my  life  I  have  been  an  honest  man.  I  have 
plunged  myself  into  a  gulf  of  misery  and  degradation,  but 
mark  my  words,  I  shall  live  to  redeem  my  character,  and,  if 
force  of  will  counts  for  anything,  I  shall  not  die  until  that  end 
is  accomplished." 

I  have  worked,  suffered,  and  lived  through  fifteen  years, 
the  resolve  then  expressed  being  a  beacon  light  —  a  light 
which  for  long  years,  though  shining  brightly,  appeared  very 
dim  from  its  vast  distance  away,  and  at  times  it  seemed  to 
my  wavering  eyes  to  flicker  and  become  extinguished,  leav- 
18 


274  ^   SUSPICIOUS  MOVEMENT. 

ing  me  in  the  darkness  of  despair.  Having  been  protected 
from  birth  against  every  rough  wind,  Mr.  Alfred  de  Roths- 
child could  see  nothing  in  me  worth  saving,  and  the  future 
will  decide  if  he  was  right. 

0  ye  mighty  of  the  earth!  who  are  yourselves  living  in 
Juxury  —  even  all  who  are  going  through  life  untroubled  by 
unending  struggles  for  existence  —  continue  unobserving, 
thoughtless,  and  blind  to  the  great  ocean  of  misery  ever  ebb- 
ing and  flowing  beneath  the  placid  surface  of  society,  until 
the  billows  of  socialism  or  anarchy  suddenly  overwhelm  all  in 
a  common  ruin ! 

A  few  days  later  the  Lord  Mayor  Waterlow  entered  my 
cell  alone.  I  had  already  been  before  him  several  times  at 
the  Mansion  House.  I  do  not  remember  what  induced  him  to 
make  the  visit  in  question,  unless  to  see  for  himself  how  I 
was  standing  the  terrible  ordeal,  or  to  judge  if  I  was  the  des- 
perado I  had  been  represented.  At  all  events,  his  manner 
was  very  affable,  and  he  appeared  much  interested  in  the  con- 
versation until,  as  we  were  standing  face  to  face,  I  put  my 
hand  to  my  breast  pocket  to  get  a  letter  or  paper  to  illustrate 
something  I  had  been  saying.  Seeing  the  movement  of  my 
hand,  he  suddenly  stepped  sidewise,  out  of  the  cell  door. 
Why  he  did  so  flashed  through  my  mind  instantly,  and  I 
was  so  shocked  that  I  should  be  taken  for  an  assassin  that  I 
could  not  continue  the  conversation. 

Whether  he  went  and  reported  me  as  having  an  intention 
to  assassinate  him,  I  know  not;  but  the  circumstance  led 
me  to  think,  "  If  that  is  their  idea  of  my  personal  character, 
what  kind  of  a  chance  do  I  stand  for  an  unprejudiced  trial  ?" 
In  the  subsequent  trial  Justice  Archibald  ruled  against  us 
in  every  objection  made  by  our  counselors,  and  granted  every 
objection  or  request  of  the  prosecution.  But  that  Imperial 
Power,  the  Bank  of  England,  was  against  us. 

On  another  day  the  Lord  Mayor  was  doing  the  honors 
of  the  city  to  the  Russian  Prince  Imperial,  the  present  Em- 
peror.    He  brought  him  to  my  cell  accompanied  by  a  retinue 


THE  PROSPECTIVE    CZAR.  275 

of  aristocrats,  of  course  the  class  for  whom  the  world  and  all 
it  contains  was  created — I  mean  its  pleasures  and  the  clolce 
far  7iiente,  not  its  pains  and  labors. 

I  presume  the  Lord  Mayor  wished  him  to  see  me  as  an 
example  of  one  of  the  products  of  modern  financial  civiliza- 
tion. The  retinue  remained  gazing  through  the  door  at  me, 
while  the  Prince  stepped  inside  preceded  by  the  Lord  Mayor 
Waterlow,  who  put  the  "  animal  "  through  his  paces,  no  doubt 
much  to  the  Prince's  edification. 

The  Prince  was  condescendingly  gracious  enough  to  ask  me 
some  questions  in  perfect  English,  but  really,  though  a 
wretched  prisoner,  I  could  get  up  no  feeling  of  gratification 
at  his  notice  beyond  what  I  should  have  felt  at  the  notice  of 
any  gentleman  of  education  and  refinement,  and  such  an  one 
the  Prince  surely  was.  I  think  I  am  entitled  to  call  him  an 
old  friend,  and  to  visit  him  at  my  earliest  convenience  in  St. 
Petersburg. 


Chapter  XXVII. 


HELD  FOR  TRIAL  —  THE  FATAL  "NOT  GUILTY"  —  A  "  TIMES  "  EDITORIAL  —  NOTES'S 
LETTER  TO  HIS  BROTHER  READ  IN  COURT  —  A  TOUCHING  SCENE — DEATH  OP 
DETECTIVE  M'KELVIE,  WHO  SECURED  MY  ARREST  IN  EDINBURGH  —  THE  LORDS 
STIRRED  UP. 

ON  the  2d  of  July,  1873,  occurred  the  last  of  the  twenty- 
three  preliminary  examinations  before  the  Lord  Mayor 
Waterlow.  It  was,  all  together,  an  ordeal  which  I  trust  no 
young  man  who  reads  this  book  will  ever  be  called  upon  to 
endure.  Pilloried  in  the  dock  day  after  day,  exposed  to  the 
gaze  of  unsympathetic  and  curious  crowds  of  people,  who 
coldly  speculated  as  to  the  result  of  the  trial,  and  endeavored 
to  penetrate,  by  dint  of  staring,  through  the  cloak  of  impassi- 
bility with  which  the  prisoner  attempts  to  hide  his  real  feel- 
ings. When  the  Lord  Mayor  at  last  announced  that  we  were 
to  be  held  for  trial,  the  knowledge  that  I  should  remain 
undisturbed  for  the  month  or  more  before  it  could  take  place 
seemed  like  a  respite. 

•I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  plead  guilty,  believing  that  by 
doing  so  I  should  give  the  others  a  chance  of  escape,  as  their 
advocates  could  throw  the  onus  on  me.  I  had  ascertained 
that  we  should  be  taken  to  plead  to  the  indictments  before 
Judge  Chambers,  and  was  assured  by  the  experienced  prison 
warders  that  if  I  pleaded  guilty  he  would  not  give  me  more 
than  seven  years.  But  such  a  course  on  my  part  would  have 
spoiled  the  "  big  case  "  which  the  Bank  agents  had  spent  so 
much  time  and  money  in  getting  up  in  order  to  let  our  fate 
be  a  warning  to  all  who  dared  think  of  meddling  with  British 
money-bags.  I  believe,  and  always  shall  until  assured  to  the 
contrary  by  Mr.  Freshfield,  that  these  latter  had  a  potent 

(276) 


TEE  HAND  OF  HO  WELL.  271 

"influence"  in  causing  Solicitor  Howell  to  oppose  my  plan  of 
pleading  guilty,  but  as  what  he  could  say  had  no  effect  on  my 
decision,  he  doubtless  instructed  my  barrister,  Mr.  Besley,  in 
whom  I  placed  confidence,  to  advise  me  not  to  carry  out  my 
intention.  Accordingly  on  Tuesday,  the  12th  of  August,  we 
were  taken  before  Judge  Chambers,  and  when  I  in  my  turn 
stood  up  to  plead,  Mr.  Besley  stepped  up  to  the  dock  and  said 
to  me,  in  a  low  tone  of  voice : 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  going  to  plead  guilty?" 

Such  a  remark  from  such  a  source,  at  that  moment,  stag- 
gered me ;  the  clerk  of  the  court  was  waiting  my  reply,  and  I 
blurted  out  the  fatal  words,  "Not  guilty " ^ words  which  cost 
me  the  possibility,  nay,  the  probability,  that  I  should  never 
again  see  the  outside  of  prison  walls.  Does  it  stand  to  reason 
that  a  gentleman  like  Mr.  Besley  would  have  caused  me  to  do 
such  a  thing  unless  Solicitor  Howell  had  instructed  him  to 
that  effect,  when  even  I  could  see  that  it  was  a  foregone  con- 
clusion that  I  was  to  be  convicted  ?  1  only  mention  these 
things  to  show  that  however  cleverly  a  man  may  arrange  his 
rascalities,  "  something  "  will  happen  by  which  in  the  end  he 
meets  his  just  deserts. 

As  a  proof  of  this,  in  my  own  case,  I  will  now  give  an 
account  of  the  trial,  which  I  have  procured  from  an  authentic 
source,  and  which  will  doubtless  prove  of  interest  to  many 
outside  of  the  legal  profession. 

I  shall  intersperse  some  criticisms  and  explanations — not, 
however,  in  the  way  of  exculpations,  but  to  show  where  prose- 
cutors and  witnesses  made  mistakes  in  facts,  identifications, 
etc.  I  first  introduce  the  account  of  the  trial  by  the  following 
editorial  from  the  London  Times  of  August  13,  1873 : 

THE  BANK  FORGERIES. 

Monday  next  has  been  fixed  for  the  trial  of  George  Bidwell, 
Austin  Bidwell,  George  McDonald,  and  Edwin  Noyes,  the  four 
Americans  who  stand  charged  with  the  gigantic  forgeries  on  the 
Government  and  Company  of  the  Bank  of  England.     The  prisoners 


278  ''TIMES''  EDITORIAL. 

will  be  arraigned  before  Mr.  Justice  Archibald,  at  the  Central 
Criminal  Court,  and  the  trial  will  probably  last  the  whole  week. 
Meanwhile,  the  voluminous  and  circumstantial  depositions  taken 
before  the  Lord  Mayor  at  the  Justice  Room  of  the  Mansion  Hou5e 
by  Mr.  Oke,  the  Chief  Clerk,  have  been  printed  for  the  conven- 
ience  of  the  presiding  judge  and  of  the  counsel  on  both  sides. 
They  extend  over  242  folio  pages,  including  the  oral  and  docu- 
mentary evidence,  and  make  of  themselves  a  thick  volume,  together 
with  an  elaborate  index  for  ready  reference.  Within  living  mem- 
ory there  has  been  no  such  case  for  length  and  importance  heard 
before  any  Lord  Mayor  of  London  in  its  preliminary  stage,  nor 
one  which  excited  a  greater  amount  of  public  interest  from  first  to 
last.  The  Overend-Gurney  prosecution  is  the  only  one  in  late 
years  which  at  all  approaches  it  in  those  respects,  but  in  that  the 
printed  depositions  only  extended  over  164  folio  pages,  or  much 
less  than  those  in  the  Bank  Case,  in  which  as  many  as  108  wit- 
nesses gave  evidence  before  the  Lord  Mayor,  and  the  preliminary 
examinations  —  twenty -three  in  number  from  first  to  last  —  lasted 
from  the  first  of  March  until  the  2d  of  July,  exclusive  of  the  time 
spent  in  remands. 

Those  remands,  of  necessity,  were  unavoidable,  having  regard 
to  the  complex  character  of  the  forgeries  and  to  the  circumstance 
that  two  of  the  chief  conspirators  fled  the  country  on  the  eve  of 
the  discovery,  a  circumstance  which  led  to  much  tedious  delay, 
first  in  capturing  them  and  then  in  applying  extradition  treaties 
to  their  cases,  and  bringing  the  prisoners  to  England.  Edwin 
Noyes,  who  was  first  arrested  in  this  country,  has  been  in  custody 
continually  since  the  first  of  March  last,  upwards  of  five  months, 
and  the  remaining  three  for  periods  varying  from  the  3d  of  April. 
In  the  case  of  two  prisoners,  Austin  Bid  well  and  George  McDon- 
aid  (apprehended  in  Havana  and  the  United  States  respectively), 
the  tedious  delay,  consequent  upon  the  extradition  proceedings,  was 
further  aggravated  by  long  sea  voyages  to  this  country,  where  the 
prisoners  were  at  length  given  up  to  justice  by  their  respective 
governments.  Upon  Noyes,  in  particular,  the  protracted  confine- 
ment preceding  trial  appears  to  have  told  considerably.  During 
the  last  examinations  before  the  Lord  Mayor,  he  seemed  exceed- 
ingly careworn  and  anxious.  There,  from  first  to  last,  it  may  be 
observed  he  always  behaved  in  a  manner  entitling  him  to  respect, 


''FATHER  AND  MOTHER:'  279 

apart  from  the  crime  of  which  he  is  charged,  his  demeanor  being 
altogether  free  from  unseemly  levity.  As  a  rule,  too,  during  the 
preliminary  examinations  George  and  Austin  Bidwell  conducted 
themselves  well  before  the  Court. 

Once  during  one  of  the  concluding  remands,  Noyes,  for  some 
moments  and  for  the  first  time,  became  fairly  unmanned.  Towards 
the  end  of  a  long  day,  while  a  letter  of  his  written  to  his  brother, 
and  in  which  kindly  references  were  made  to  his  father  and  mother, 
was  being  read  by  Mr.  Chabot,  the  expert  in  handwriting,  he  burst 
into  tears  which  he  tried  in  vain  to  conceal,  and  sobbed  like  a  cliild 
at  the  recital  of  a  passage  in  which  he  rejoiced  at  the  prospect  of 
keeping  the  homestead  together  for  the  family.  It  may  be  men- 
tioned as  an  incident  in  the  case,  that  a  witness  named  James 
M'Kelvie,  a  private  detective  in  Edinburgh,  who  was  mainly 
instrumental  in  arresting  the  prisoner  George  Bidwell  in  that  city, 
has  died  since  he  gave  his  evidence  before  the  Lord  Mayor.  The 
circumstance,  however,  is  not  likely  to  affect  the  issue. 

Much  satisfaction  has  been  felt  and  expressed  by  all  interested 
in  the  integrity  of  commercial  transactions,  at  the  prompt  and  cor- 
dial co-operation  of  the  Governments  of  the  United  States  and 
Spain  with  our  own  Government,  in  the  steps  necessary  to  bring 
to  justice  the  persons  suspected  of  complicity  in  the  great  fraud 
recently  effected  upon  the  Bank  of  England.  Our  own  foreign 
ofiQce,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Hammond,  Lord  Enfield,  and 
Lord  Tenterden,  took  up  the  subject  with  an  energy  which  con- 
trasts strongly  with  the  apathy  popularly  attributed  to  it,  and  at 
once  telegraphed  to  Sir  E.  Thornton  at  Washington,  and  to  Mr. 
Layard  at  Madrid,  urging  them  to  use  their  utmost  influence  to 
induce  Mr.  Fish,  American  Minister  in  Madrid,  and  Seilor  Castello, 
Spanish  Minister,  to  arrest  the  delinquents,  while  their  appeals 
were  as  strongly  seconded  from  this  side  by  Gen.  Schenck  and 
Seiior  Moret,  Spanish  Minister  at  Washington. 


Chapter  XXVIII. 


EEPORT  OF  THE  TRIAL  AT  THE  "OLD  BAILEr  "  —  FIRST  DAY,  MONDAY,  AUGUST  18, 
1873 — THE  LEGAL  TALENT  ENGAGED — ARGUMENTS  FOR  AND  AGAINST  POSTPONE- 
MENT—  TRIAL  MUST  PROCEED  —  THE  JURY  —  MR,  GIFFORD,  Q,  C,  OPENS  THE 
CASE  FOR  THE  PROSECUTION  —  HE  OUTLINES  THE  PLOT — GIVES  A  SYNOPSIS 
O.F  FINANCIAL  TRANSACTIONS  —  AUSTIN'S  LETTER  TO  MAC  —  MY  OWN  LETTER  TO 
MAC  —  "A  hell's  CHASE  AND  NO  MISTAKE  "  — ADJOURNED  FOR  LUNCHEON. 

ON  the  opening  of  the  August  sessions  of  the  Central 
Criminal  Court,  this  morning  at  eleven  o'clock,  the  four 
Americans,  George  Bidwell,  forty  years  of  age,  merchant  — 
George  McDonald,  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  described  as  a 
clerk  —  Austin  Bidwell,  twenty-five  years  of  age,  described  as 
merchant's  clerk  —  and  Edwin  Noyes  Hills,  twenty-eight  years 
of  age,  called  a  clerk  —  were  put  upon  their  trial  before  Mr. 
Justice  Archibald,  for  the  forgeries  on  the  Governor  and 
Company  of  the  Bank  of  England.  The  court  was  much 
crowded  from  the  beginning,  and  continued  so  throughout 
the  day.  Alderman  Sir  Robert  Garden,  representing  the 
Lord  Mayor,  Mr.  Alderman  Finis,  Mr.  Alderman  Besley, 
Mr.  Alderman  Lawrence,  M.  P.,  Mr.  Alderman  Whetham, 
and  Mr.  Alderman  Ellis,  as  commissioners  of  the  court, 
occupied  seats  upon  the  bench,  as  did  also  Alderman  Sheriff 
White. 

Sheriff  Sir  Frederick  Perkins,  Mr.  Under-Sheriff  Hewitt, 
and  Mr.  Under-Sheriff  Crosley,  Mr.  P.  B.  Green,  Mr.  R.  W. 
Crawford,  M.  P.,  Governor  of  the  Bank,  Mr.  Lyall,  Deputy 
Governor,  and  Mr.  Alfred  de  Rothschild,  were  present.     The 

Note  — I  have  caused  certain  portions  of  the  following  eif^ht  chapters, 
which  contain  an  account  of  the  trial,  to  be  printed  in  italics,  and  it  is  to 
these,  in  general,  that  my  interspersed  comments  refer. —  G.  B. 

(280) 


THE  PERSONNEL. 


28] 


members  of  the  bar  mustered  in  force,  and  the  reserved  seats 
were  chiefly  occupied  by  ladies.  Mr.  Hardinge  Giffard,  Q.  C. 
Mr.  Watkin  Williams,  Q.  C,  Mr.  Poland,  Mr.  H.  D.  Green 
Mr.  J.  H.  Crawford  (instructed  by  Messrs.  Freshfield,  the 
solicitors  of  the  Bank)  appeared  as  counsel  for  the  prosecution. 

The  prisoner  George  Bidwell  was  defended  by  Mr.  Powell,  Q, 
C,  and  Mr.  Besley  ;  Austin  Bid- 
well,  by  Mr.  Mclntyre,  Q.  C,  and 
Mr.  Moody  (all  instructed  by 
Mr.  Howell,  solicitor)  ;  George 
McDonald,  by  Mr.  Metcalf,  Q.  C., 
and  Mr.  Straight  (instructed  by 
Messrs.  Wontner, solicitors),  and 
Edwin  Noyes  by  Mr.  Ribton  and 
Mr.  Hollings  (instructed  by 
Mr.  Howell). 

Mr.  Powell,  Q.  C,  addressing 
the  judge,  said  he  was  instructed 
on  the  part  of  his  client,  George 
Bidwell,  to  apply  to  the  court  for  a 
future  postponement  of  the  trial. 
There  were  no  fewer  than  six- 
teen indictments  against  the 
prisoners,  charging  them  with  offenses  of  the  gravest  magni- 
tude. The  evidence  was  most  voluminous  and  very  compli- 
cated, and  the  preliminary  inquiry  before  the  Lord  Mayor 
lasted  from  the  1st  of  March,  when  Noyes  was  arrested,  until 
the  2d  of  July,  when  they  were  all  committed  for  trial.  On 
the  7th  of  August  the  prisoners  were  served  with  a  notice  by 
the  Bank  solicitor,  to  the  effect  that  no  fewer  than  ninety- 
three  additional  witnesses,  whose  names  they  gave,  and  "  divers 
other  persons  "  might  possibly  be  called  upon  the  part  of  the 
prosecution.  Except  in  one  or  two  cases,  the  prisoners  were 
kept  in  the  dark  as  to  the  nature  of  the  evidence  the  new  wit- 
nesses would  give,  and  it  was  therefore  impossible,  without 
some  investigation,  to  be  prepared  with  a  reply  to  it.     Those 


R.  W.  CRAWFORD,  M.P.,  GOVERNOR. 


282 


NEW    WITNESSES. 


witnesses,  it  was  stated,  generally  would  be  called  to  speak  of 
banking  or  bill  transactions  with  one  or  other  of  the  prisoners 
abroad,  or  to  produce  letters  written  by  them,  and  he  need 
hardly  say  that  these  matters  might,  and  doubtless  would  have 
an  important  bearing  on  the  case.     The  prisoners  had  not  had 

time  to  inquire  into  the  evidence 
about  to  be  given,  or  to  instruct 
counsel  with  reference  to  it,  and 
he  submitted  that  it  was  only 
fair  to  them,  under  the  circum- 
stances, that  a  further  adjourn- 
ment should  be  granted. 

Assuming  that  the  new  wit- 
nesses would  simply  corroborate 
others  already  examined,  the 
necessity  for  inquiry  on  the  part 
of  the  prisoners  was  still  very 
urgent,  inasmuch  as  the  pro- 
duction of  such  a  mass  of  addi- 
tional evidence  was  almost  an 
admission  that  the  depositions 
already  taken  failed  in  certain 
particulars  or  points  that  might  be  of  importance  to  them. 
Looking  at  the  fact  that  many  of  the  witnesses  lived  on  the 
Continent,  and  that  only  ten  days'  notice  had  been  given  to 
the  prisoners  by  the  prosecution,  he  urged  that  it  would  be 
taking  the  accused,  who  were  foreigners,  at  a  very  great  disad- 
vantage if  the  trial  was  hurried  on  at  that  moment,  and  that 
there  would  be  a  serious  risk,  and  that  justice  would  not  be 
done  them.  He  added  that  the  application  was  not  made  with 
any  view  to  unnecessary  delay. 

Mr.  Mclntyre,  Q.  C,  supported  the  application  on  behalf 
of  Austin  Bidwell,  observing  that  if  the  prosecution  had,  prior 
the  last  adjournment,  formed  an  intention  to  call  the  new 
witnesses,  they  should,  in  fairness  to  the  prisoners,  have 
given  them  notice  six  weeks  since.     If,  on  the  other  hand. 


GEORGE  LYALL,  DEPUTY  GOVERNOR. 


APPLICATIONS.  283 

the  existence  of  ninety-three  witnesses  had  been  discovered, 
or  any  necessity  for  calling  them  had  transpired  since  that 
adjournment,  the  prisoners  were  certainly  entitled,  on  every 
principle  of  justice,  to  aR  opportunity  of  defending  themselves 
on  the  new  points  about  to  be  raised.  It  was  unfair  to  the 
prisoners  to  expect  them  to  meet  allegations  which  were  not 
gone  into  before  the  committing  magistrate,  and  of  the  sub- 
stance of  which  they  were  as  yet  unaware. 

Mr.  Metcalf,  Q.  C,  made  a  similar  appeal  on  the  part  of 
George  McDonald,  urging  that  the  case  for  the  prosecution 
had  been  doubled  in  extent  since  it  left  the  Mansion  House, 
that  many  new  heads  of  evidence  were  about  to  be  opened, 
and  that  it  had  been  impossible,  during  the  nine  or  ten  days 
since  the  notice  had  been  served,  to  make  any  inquiry  as  to 
the  statements  the  witnesses  would  be  called  upon  to  give. 

Mr.  Ribton,  on  behalf  of  Noyes,  said  applications  for  post- 
ponement were  very  frequently  made  in  that  court,  and  were 
hardly  ever  opposed  or  rejected,  especially  when  they  came 
from  persons  in  the  dock.  As  for  his  own  client  (Noyes)  his 
case  differed  materially  from  that  of  the  others,  and  it  was 
very  unfair  to  be  informed,  at  the  last  moment,  that  it  was 
proposed  to  show  the  previous  acquaintanceship  of  all  the 
prisoners  in  America,  seeing  that  the  accused  men  had  no 
opportunity  of  inquiring  into  the  character  of  the  persons 
who  were  about  to  give  such  evidence.  He  should  have 
thought  that  the  Bank  authorities,  acting,  as  it  might  be  sup- 
posed they  did,  solely  in  public  interest,  and  possessing  inex- 
haustible resources,  would  have  been  ready  to  consent  to  such 
a  reasonable  application. 

Mr.  Giffard,  Q.  C,  for  the  prosecution,  strongly  resisted 
the  applications.  He  pointed  out  that,  although  the  case  had 
lasted  upwards  of  four  months  at  the  police  court,  the  delay, 
if  any,  had  arisen  from  the  fact  that  Austin  Bidwell  had  to  be 
brought  to  this  country  from  Havana,  and  McDonald  from 
New  York.  The  charge  was  in  itself  a  very  simple  one,  but 
the  tracing  of  the  various  bills  was  somewhat  complicated. 


284  "^HE  INDICTMENT. 

There  was  no  legcal  obligation  on  the  part  of  the  prosecution 
to  give  the  accused  notice  of  fresh  evidence,  but  such  notice 
was  invariably  given  out  of  mere  fairness.  It  was  quite 
impossible  for  any  one  at  a  preliminary  inquiry  to  say  what 
new  witnesses  might  be  forthcoming  between  the  date  of  the 
committal  and  the  trial,  so  it  had  been  found  in  this  instance. 
Of  the  new  witnesses  referred  to,  forty  were  bank  clerks  and 
others,  who  would,  if  necessary,  give  more  formal  proof  on 
matters  already  investigated,  and  some  of  the  rest  would 
speak  to  the  purchase  by  the  prisoners  of  genuine  bills  at 
various  places  on  the  Continent,  which  were  afterwards  used 
as  models  for  forged  bills. 

There  had  been  great  difficulty  in  getting  some  of  the  wit- 
nesses from  America  and  the  Continent,  and  if  the  trial  were 
again  postponed  there  would  certainly  be  a  failure  of  justice. 
The  application  by  the  prisoners  was  simply  made  with  a  view 
to  delay,  and  in  the  hope  that  some  of  the  material  witnesses 
would  be  wanting  on  a  future  occasion.  He  submitted  with 
confidence  that  no  cause  for  the  delay  had  been  shown. 

Mr.  Justice  Archibald,  having  taken  time  to  consider  his 
answer,  said  he  had  carefully  weighed  all  that  had  been  urged 
on  the  part  of  the  prisoners,  and  he  had  come  to  the  decision 
to  refuse  the  application,  having  a  very  clear  opinion  that  no 
injustice  to  the  prisoners  would  ensue  if  the  trial  proceeded 
without  delay. 

A  jury  having  been  empaneled  and  sworn,  Mr.  Avery, 
the  clerk  of  arraigns,  addressing  them,  said  the  prisoners 
were  severally  indicted  for  forging  and  uttering  on  the  17th 
of  January  last,  a  bill  of  exchange  for  X  1,000,  purporting  to 
be  drawn  by  H.  C.  Streeter  of  Valparaiso,  and  accepted  by  the 
London  and  Westminster  Bank,  with  the  intent  to  defraud  the 
Governor  and  Company  of  the  Bank  of  England.  In  other 
counts  he  said  they  were  charged  in  like  manner  with  other 
forgeries,  variously  stated. 

Mr.  Giffard  then  proceeded  to  open  the  case  for  the  prose- 
cution.    The  prisoners  he  said  were  indicted  for  forging  and 


THE  CASE  OPENED.  285 

uttering  a  bill  of  exchange  for  .£1,000,  but  that  in  reality 
formed  but  a  very  small  part  of  the  scheme,  or  fraud,  which 
it  would  be  his  duty  to  lay  before  the  jury. 

The  charge  against  them  was  in  substance  that  of  uttering 
ninety-four  bills  of  exchange,  all  of  which  were  forged,  and 
the  effect  of  which  was  to  obtain  from  the  Bank  of  England 
very  large  sums  of  money.  The  jury  would  therefore  at  once 
perceive  that  they  had  to  try  a  charge  of  fraud  for  which  they 
might  seek  in  vain  a  parallel  in  the  criminal  annals  of  the 
country.  Such  an  enterprise,  as  might  well  be  imagined, 
involved  very  considerable  difficulties,  but  that  all  those  diffi- 
culties were  long  contemplated  the  jury  in  the  end  would 
probably  have  no  doubt,  and  as  little  doubt  that  they  were 
surmounted  with  such  consummate  art  as  to  produce  a  feeling 
of  regret  that  the  prisoners  had  not  employed  their  talents  to 
legitimate  purposes  in  the  ordinary  business  of  life.  More- 
over, that  scheme  of  fraud,  but  for  one  of  those  accidents 
which  had  come  to  be  embodied  in  various  shapes  in  the  com- 
mon proverbs  of  the  country,  was  all  but  successful  in  the 
result.  The  jury  would,  therefore,  perceive  the  class  of 
men  they  had  to  try,  how  deeply  they  had  laid  their  plot, 
and  with  what  consummate  skill  they  carried  it  into  execu- 
tion. The  prisoners  George  Bidwell,  Austin  Bidwell,  and 
George  McDonald,  as  would  be  proved,  came  to  tiiis  country 
in  the  spring  of  last  year  to  set  on  foot  an  original  scheme  of 
fraud.  The  first  difficulty  with  which  they  had  to  contend  was 
to  procure  an  introduction  to  the  Bank  of  England  or  to  some 
first-rate  bank,  and  at  which  they  might  discount  bills.  Austin 
Bidwell  had  been  accustomed  to  deal  with  a  respectable  firm  of 
tailors  named  Green,  in  Saville  Bow,  and  one  day  in  May, 
1872,  having  made  a  purchase  from  them,  he  stated  that  he 
was  about  to  depart  for  Ireland,  and  that  he  had  a  large  sum 
of  money  in  his  possession,  of  which  he  wished  them  to  take 
charge  in  his  absence.  Mr.  Green  declined  the  responsibility, 
and  suggested  that  he  (Bidwell)  should  place  the  sum  on  de- 
posit at  the  Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  Bngland,  where  his 


286  STORY  OF  THE  FRAUD. 

firm  banked.  The  suggestion  was  adopted,  and  he  and 
Bid  well  walked  together  to  the  bank,  where  they  saw  Mr. 
Fenwick,  the  sub-manager.  Bidwell  gave  the  name  of  Fred- 
erick Albert  Warren,  and  having  deposited  the  money,  he 
innocently  inquired  if,  supposing  he  had  any  further  sum  to 
pay  in,  he  need  trouble  Mr.  Green  who  had  introduced  him,  to 
come  with  him  for  that  purpose.  He  was  told  that  their 
account  was  henceforth  his  own  and  that  he  could  pay  in  the 
money  direct.  The  amount  paid  in  upon  that  day  was  £1,200, 
and  the  prisoner  subsequently  deposited  a  further  sum  of 
.£1,000.  After  that  the  account  was  allowed  to  rest  until 
September,  when  the  prisoner  called  at  the  bank,  and  requested 
Col.  Francis,  the  manager,  to  sell  for  him  £8,000  worth  of 
Portuguese  three  per  cent,  bonds.  This  was  assented  to, 
and  the  prisoner  drew  £2,000  on  account.  During  that 
interview  with  the  manager  the  prisoner  stated,  casually, 
that  he  was  an  American  contractor,  or  agent,  charged  with 
the  introduction  on  an  extensive  scale  of  Pullman's  sleeping- 
cars  into  this  country,  and  upon  the  Continent,  that  he  was 
about  to  build  them  at  Birmingham,  and  that  he  hoped  to 
have  some  of  them  running  for  the  impending  exhibition 
at  Vienna.  The  prisoner's  accou7it  at  the  bank  ivent  on 
smoothly  and  regularly  and  no  particular  attention  was  paid 
to  it  by  the  authorities.     (See  page  139  et  seq.} 

It  would  be  found  that  having  obtained  the  all-important 
introduction  to  the  Bank,  and  having  overcome  the  preliminary 
difficulties,  the  next  point  with  the  persons  concocting  this 
gigantic  fraud  was  to  know  what  to  forge.  During  September 
and  October,  therefore,  they  were  actively  engaged  in  various 
capitals  and  cities  of  Eurojje  in  malting  inquiries  as  to  the 
solvency  and  status  of  various  large  commercial  houses,  and 
the  amount  of  respect  their  bills  were  likely  to  command  in 
London,  and  to  acquaint  themselves  generally  with  the  ordinary 
course  of  transactions  there  and  in  this  country,  so  that  they 
might  be  perfectly  armed  at  every  step  of  their  way.  [I  did 
the  whole  of  that  work. — G.  B.]     About  this  time  two  of  the 


''YOUR  health:'  287 

prisoners  became  ill,  and  on  the  5th  of  October  Austin  Bid- 
well  wrote  a  letter  to  McDonald  containing  this  passage  : 
^'  G.  (meaning  his  brother)  has  just  telegraphed  if  we  shall 
not  wait  until  you  are  completely  restored,  and  in  answering 
it  I  trust  that  you  will  not  be  governed  by  any  thought  that 
we  want  you  to  go  on  at  once.  Far  from  it ;  the  first  consid- 
eration is  your  health,  and  if  necessary  we  will  postpone  busi- 
ness until  Christmas,  and  if  you  require  rest  for  ten  days  or 
more,  for  heaven's  sake  take  it ;  it  might  be  highly  dangerous 
for  you  to  stir  about.  Then,  we  have  a  good  capital,  and  when 
ready  can  largely  increase  it  on  short  order.  Above  all 
things,  if  your  health  requires  it  let  us  wait,  for  business  can- 
not be  injured  by  delay ;  it  is  only  a  matter  of  resting  for 
that  time." 

[In  establishing  his  theory  that  the  fraud  was  a  long-con- 
templated one,  Mr.  Giffard  made  an  effective  usage  of  the 
letter  from  my  brother ;  but  it  will  be  seen  by  reference  to 
page  186  that  the  first  inception  of  the  "  scheme  "  was  not  till 
on  or  about  the  1st  of  November,  nearly  a  month  later  than 
the  date  of  my  brother's  letter.  The  telegram  referred  to  as 
from  G.  is  one  I  sent  from  Amsterdam  while  prospecting  in 
search  of  an  opening  for  a  ^'  speculation  "  somewhere  on  the 
Continent.— G.  B.] 

Mr.  Giffard  continued :  The  scheme  had  in  consequence 
to  be  postponed,  and  the  prisoners  did  not  in  fact  commence 
active  operations  until  Christmas.  Between  November  and 
January  George  Bidwell,  under  the  name  of  Gilbert,  procured 
a  large  number  of  bills,  which  not  only  formed  the  model  of 
the  various  forged  ones,  but,  being  paid  into  the  Bank  of  Eng- 
land and  duly  honored,  served  to  establish  the  mercantile 
credit  of  Warren  there.  It  would  be  found  also  that  either 
McDonald  or  Austin  Bidwell,  giving  the  name  of  Warren, 
went  to  Rotterdam  and  applied  to  a  Mr.  DeWael,  a  merchant 
there,  for  a  draft  on  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank. 

He  was  told  that  there  was  only  one  person  at  Rotterdam 
entitled  to  draw  on  that  bank,  and  that  he  charged  hio-hlv  for 


288  "  CONSUMMATE  SKILL:' 

it.  Warren  replied  that  he  did  not  mind  the  expense,  but  that 
he  must  have  the  bill  on  that  particular  bank,  and  he  accord- 
ingly left  <£622  with  Mr.  DeWael  to  purchase  a  draft,  giving 
as  his  address  in  London  the  Golden  Cross  Hotel.  [Another 
case  of  mistaken  identification.  I  transacted  that  business 
with  Mr.  DeWael. — G.  B.]  Bills  to  the  amount  of  between 
£4,000  and  £5,000  were  obtained  by  the  prisoners  during 
these  three  months,  their  evident  object  being  to  get  first-class 
paper  and  induce  the  bank  to  discount  their  bills.  On  the 
29th  of  November  Austin  Bidwell  went  to  Col.  Francis,  and 
producing  two  genuine  bills  for  X500,  each  accepted  by 
Messrs.  Suse  &  Sibeth,  an  eminent  firm  in  London,  asked  him 
if  he  would  discount  paper  of  that  sort.  [Bills  purchased  for 
me  by  Mr.  Pinto  in  Amsterdam.  See  Pinto's  evidence. — G.  B.] 
The  manager  promised  to  make  inquiries,  and  finding  they 
were  first-class  bills  he  discounted  them.  The  prisoners  hav- 
ing thus,  with  consummate  skill  and  at  one  stroke,  obtained 
credit  with  the  Bank  of  England  and  the  models  for  the 
forged  bills  which  were  to  come,  next  provided  for  the  distri- 
bution of  the  plunder  and  their  means  of  escape.  It  was 
manifestly  impossible  that  the  money  could  be  withdrawn  in 
gold  alone,  and  the  prisoners  no  doubt  felt  that  to  receive  it 
in  bank  notes  was  the  most  dangerous  course  they  could 
adopt. 

The  difficulty  was  surmounted  by  the  opening  by  Austin 
Bidwell  [By  my  direction. — G.  B.],in  the  name  of  Charles 
Johnson  Horton,  of  an  account  at  the  Continental  Bank  in 
Lombard  Street,  into  which  he  could  pay  the  money  received 
at  the  Western  Branch  and  then  draw  it  out  again  in  a  differ- 
ent shape.  The  account  was  opened  on  the  2d  of  December 
[After  McDonald's  "  great  discovery."  See  page  188. — G.  B.] , 
which  day  also  introduced  the  jury  to  the  fourth  prisoner,  Ed- 
win Noyes.  He  was  in  New  York  at  the  time,  and  the  pris- 
oner, George  Bidwell,  telegraphed  to  him  in  effect  to  come 
over  to  this  country  on  the  next  steamer  without  fail. 

The  jury  would  probably  find  in  the  end  that  a  fourth  per- 


A  FOURTH  PERSONAGE.  289 

son  had  become  absolutely  necessary  to  the  successful  execu- 
tion of  the  scheme. 

George  Bidwell  and  McDonald  had  by  that  time  become 
deeply  concerned  in  it,  and  were  thenceforward  to  be  kept  in 
the  background.  It  was  necessary,  therefore,  that  some  per- 
son vfho  up  to  that  time  had  been  a  stranger  to  the  transac- 
tion should  be  introduced,  and  Noyes  was  selected  for  the 
purpose.  On  the  17th  of  December  he  arrived  in  England, 
and  apparently  without  any  luggage.  In  the  previous  August 
McDonald  had  been  in  eommunieation  ivith  him  hy  telegraphy 
and  the  jury  would  see  eventually  whether  Noyes  was  the 
stranger  he  affected  to  be.  He  arrived  in  London  on  the 
17th  of  December,  and  on  the  18th  or  19th  he  was  dressed 
up  for  the  part  he  had  to  play,  and  various  precautions  were 
taken  to  conceal  his  identity.  It  was  absolutely  astonishing 
to  note  in  the  progress  of  the  fraud  the  nwnher  of  aliases 
[see  page  135]  the  prisoners,  with  the  exception  of  Noyes, 
had  occasion  to  assume.  The  jury  would  have  occasion,  as 
the  trial  proceeded,  to  note  the  intimacy  which  existed  be- 
tween Noyes  and  the  other  prisoners,  and  would  find  that  up 
to  the  11th  of  January,  from  his  first  coming  to  this  country, 
he  was  in  the  closest  relations  with  them.  On  Christmas  day 
there  was  a  dinner  party  at  which  all  the  four  prisoners  were 
present.  That  was  the  state  of  things  up  to  the  end  of  Jan- 
uary. During  December  neither  of  the  prisoners,  George 
Bidwell  nor  McDonald,  had  been  idle.  Austin  Bidwell  was 
the  person-  to  open  the  account  at  the  Western  Branch  of  the 
Bank  of  England,  and  part  of  the  plot  was  that  he  should  be 
out  of  the  country  before  the  first  forged  bill  was  uttered. 
[See  page  198.]  The  other  prisoners,  as  to  whom  the  Bank 
could  have  no  information,  were  not  only  the  persons  who 
procured  the  models  for  the  forged  bills,  but  who  actually 
forged  them. 

The   jury  would   find    George   Bidwell   going  to  various 
engravers  for  that  purpose.      He   [Mr.  Giffard]  would  not 
describe  each  individual  transaction  of  that  kind ;  it  would 
19 


290  ^^^  PULLMAN  SHOPS  AT  BIRMINGHAM. 

suffice  to  saj  that  whenever  the  prisoners  obtained  a  genuine 
bill,  they  had  the  means  in  their  own  hands  of  counterfeiting 
it,  by  having  recourse  to  engravers,  and  that  by  various  expe- 
dients suspicion  was  disarmed.  One  of  the  forged  bills  pur- 
ported to  be  accepted  at  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank, 
and  a  stamp  was  fabricated  so  as  to  imitate  that  by  which  the 
genuine  acceptance  of  the  bank  was  accustomed  to  be  made. 
It  was  necessary  to  protect  the  man  Noyes,  who  was  act- 
ing as  Horton's  clerk,  and  it  was  therefore  clearly  impossible 
that  he  could  have  any  connection  with  Warren's  account  at 
the  Bank  of  England.  An  extremely  cunning  device  was 
then  arranged.  Austin  Bidwell  explained  to  Col.  Francis 
that  his  workshops  were  being  constructed  at  Birmingham, 
and  that  his  presence  there  was  necessary ;  and  he  stated  that 
his  bills,  instead  of  being  presented  personally  as  hitherto, 
would  be  sent  through  the  post  in  registered  letters.  The 
first  letter  was  dated  the  SOth  of  December  [two  months  after 
the  first  inception  of  the  fraud.  See  Chapter  XIX.  —  G.  B.], 
and  contained  ten  genuine  bills  for  <£4,307  Ss.  6d.,  all  of 
which  were  discounted  and  subsequently  honored.  On  the 
5th  of  January  an  advertisement  was  inserted  in  the  news- 
papers, by  Noyes,  to  the  effect  that  a  gentleman  of  active 
business  habits,  and  with  a  small  capital  of  <£300,  required 
a  situation  as  clerk  or  partner,  and  answers  were  to  be 
addressed  to  him  at  Durant's  Hotel,  where  he  was  then  stay- 
ing. A  great  many  answers  were  received,  and  McDonald 
called  at  the  hotel  personally.  [Another  mistake  i-n  identifi- 
cation, as  it  was  not  McDonald  who  called  at  the  hotel. — 
G.  B.]  After  he  left,  Noyes  told  the  waiter  that  he  was  his 
future  master,  and  that  he  had  deposited  £300  with  him  as  a 
guarantee  for  his  good  conduct.  On  the  11th  of  January  a 
formal  agreement  was  entered  into  between  Charles  Johnson 
Horton  of  London  Bridge,  a  Pullman  car  manufacturer,  and 
Edwin  Noyes  of  Durant's  Hotel,  merchant's  clerk,  whereby 
Noyes  agreed  to  serve  the  former  as  clerk  and  manager,  at 
a  salary  of  X150,  the  latter  depositing  a  sum  of  £300  as 


THE  ROTHSCHILD  BILL.  291 

security  for  the  due  performance  of  his  duties  and  honesty, 
said  sum  to  be  returned  without  interest  on  his  leaving.  The 
agreement  was  witnessed  by  Mr.  Howell,  a  solicitor  in  Cheap- 
side,  who  was  now  defending  the  prisoners,  and  it  was  found 
in  Noyes's  possession  on  his  arrest.  It  was  evidently  intended 
to  shield  him  when  the  fraud  was  discovered,  and  when  all 
the  other  parties  had  made  their  escape.  Up  to  this  time 
very  good  bills  had  been  sent  up  to  the  Bank  for  discount, 
but  before  the  forgeries  commenced  a  grand  coup  was  deter- 
mined upon.  Accordingly  Austin  Bidwell,  early  in  January, 
obtained  a  considerable  quantity  of  foreign  money  and  left 
London  for  Paris.  On  his  way  there  he  was  considerably 
injured  by  an  accident  on  the  Great  Northern  Railway  of 
France,  but  he  turned  the  accident  to  account  by  introducing 
himself  to  Messrs.  Rothschild,  who  had  a  close  financial  con- 
nection with  the  Railway  Company.  He  induced  them,  against 
their  ordinary  practice,  to  sell  him  a  bill  of  X 4,500,  and  with 
this  he  returned  immediately  to  London.  [I  purchased  all 
this  foreign  money  in  London,  and  sent  Austin  to  purchase  a 
bill  from  Rothschild,  the  railway  accident  having  nothing 
to  do  with  it,  beyond  influencing  the  bankers  to  accede  to  his 
request.  —  G.  B.]  He  had  an  interview  with  Col.  Francis, 
and  in  the  course  of  it  he  complained  in  some  degree  that 
his  bills  were  being  vmnecessarily  watched,  inasmuch  as  all 
which  he  had  presented  were  of  the  highest  possible  char- 
acter. [Complained  that  his  bills  were  being  unnecessarily 
watched  !  If  that  statement  is  well  founded,  it  should  have 
been  quite  sufficient  to  arouse  suspicion  and  cause  inquiry  — 
but  no  forger  would  be  so  stupid.  —  G.  B.]  He  then  threw 
down  the  bill  of  Messrs.  Rothschild,  saying  he  supposed  that 
would  be  good  enough  for  the  Bank.  It  not  being  advisable 
for  him  to  confess  that  he  had  left  Birmingham  and  obtained 
the  bill  in  Paris,  he  stated  that  the  injuries  from  which  he 
was  suffering  had  been  caused  by  a  fall  from  his  horse.  He 
also  stated  that  his  workshops  at  Birmingham  were  full  of 
new  sleeping-cars,  and  that  he  expected  his  transactions  to  be 
Tery  large  in  the  course  of  the  ensuing  month. 


292  GOOD   LAW  AND    COMMON  SENSE. 

The  scheme  involved  not  only  the  protection  of  the  con- 
spirators but  the  safety  of  the  plunder,  and  accordingly  it 
was,  beyond  all  doubt,  arranged  that  he  should  be  on  his  way 
out  of  the  country  before  the  first  forged  bill  reached  the 
Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England.  It  had  been  sug- 
gested at  the  preliminary  examination  before  the  Lord  Mayor 
that  because  Austin  Bidwell  was  out  of  the  country  he  was 
not  amenable  for  this  offense.  That  was  neither  sound  law 
nor  common  sense.  There  was  a  very  old  legal  maxim  that 
a  man  who  did  an  act  by  another,  did  it  by  himself.  The 
prisoner,  Austin  Bidwell,  might  have  done  what  he  did  either 
at  Rome  or  Kamtschatka,  but  he  would  be  equally  responsible, 
notwithstanding. 

[The  Northern  Railway  accident,  while  on  his  journey  to 
Paris,  and  his  engagement,  caused  Austin  to  give  up  connection 
with  the  partially  prepared  fraud,  and  he  was  absent  on  his 
"  wedding  journey."  See  Chapter  XX  for  particulars.  But 
Mr.  Giffard's  assertion  is  "  good  law  and  common  sense,"  and 
should  be  a  warning  to  any  who  contemplate  perpetrating 
crime  by  proxy.  —  G.  B.] 

On  the  22d  of  January,  1873,  in  a  letter  signed  by  Warren, 
dated  on  the  21st,  came  the  first  batch  of  forged  bills  to  the 
Western  Branch.  That  was  the  first  experiment,  and  if  it 
passed  muster  the  scheme  was  successful.  Austin  Bidwell 
would  then  appear  to  have  fled,  and  Noyes  could  set  up  the 
defense  that  he  had  merely  acted  as  his  clerk.  The  scheme 
was  successful ;  the  hills  had  been  engraved  by  skilled  a7'tisans 
and  had  passed  muster ;  the  thing  was  done ;  and  having  got 
the  first  forged  bills  discounted,  the  next  step  was  to  operate 
on  the  account  previously  opened  to  get  the  plunder,  and  to 
escape.  But  having  obtained  so  much  money,  how  were  they 
to  deal  with  it  ? 

Notes  could  be  traced.  The  scheme  contrived  was  as 
artful  as  the  rest  of  the  fraud.  Anybody  presenting  bank- 
notes at  the  Bank  of  England  had  a  right  to  demand  gold  in 
exchange,  but  it  might  not  be  so  generally  known  that  the 


NOTES  FOR  GOLD—GOLD  FOR  NOTES.  293 

converse  proceeding  was  equally  easy,  viz.,  that  a  person 
tendering  gold  at  the  Bank  of  England  could  receive  its 
equivalent  in  notes.  The  device  adopted  in  this  case  was 
this : 

One  of  the  prisoners  went  to  the  bank  with  notes  and 
obtained  gold  for  them.  Another  of  them  went  on  the  same 
day  and  obtained  notes  for  the  gold;  so  that  unless  it  could  be 
shown  that  the  two  prisoners  so  acting  were  associated  in  a 
common  design  the  connection  between  the  fraud  and  the 
property  actually  obtained  by  it  was  broken.  That  process  was 
repeated  to  such  an  extent  that  between  the  21st  of  January 
and  the  28th  of  February,  the  notes  changed  into  gold  by 
Noyes  amounted  to  no  less  than  £23,650,  and  the  gold  ex- 
changed for  other  notes  by  McDonald  to  £16,950.  There 
was  thus  a  large  balance  in  favor  of  the  amount  in  gold,  but 
both  it  and  the  notes  were  afterwards  expended  in  the  pur- 
chase of  United  States  bonds.  Austin  Bidwell  left  this  coun- 
try in  the  middle  of  January,  and  was^  married  to  an  English 
lady  in  Paris.  And  he  seemed  to  have  gone  about  France 
and  Germany  selling  the  bonds  which  had  been  bought  in 
London  and  buying  others  with  a  view  further  to  destroy  all 
trace  of  the  proceeds  of  the  fraud.  [If  he  did  so  it  was  with- 
out my  knowledge.  —  G.  B.]  About  this  time,  also,  Noyes 
sent  out  c£  1,000  to  some  relations  in  America,  and  it  was, 
therefore,  idle  to  pretend  that  he  was  merely  the  innocent 
clerk  of  the  other  men. 

The  business  up  to  this  point  was  eminently  successful, 
and  the  diligence  of  the  prisoners  in  the  previous  December 
was  not  without  its  reward. 

From  the  28th  of  January  every  bill  which  was  sent  to  the 
bank  was  a  forgery  and  had  been  fabricated  on  the  model  of 
the  genuine  bills,  Messrs.  Rothschild  included,  which  had 
previously  been  discounted. 

The  first  batch  amounted  to  £4,250  and  was  discounted 
on  the  21st  of  January,  and  then  came  the  following  in  quick 
succession.     On  the  4th  of  February,  £11,072  ;  10th  of  Feb- 


294  ^^  ''ACCIDENTAL    WAY:* 

ruary,  £4,642  ;  13th  of  February,  .£14,696 ;  20th  of  February, 
£14,686;  24th  of  February,  £19,253  ;  and  28th  of  February, 
£24,265.  The  prisoner  gave  no  address  at  Birmingham,  but 
he  explained  that  as  he  was  staying  with  a  friend  a  short  dis- 
tance out  of  town  he  should  like  his  letters  addressed  to  the 
post-office  there,  and  that  was  accordingly  done.  On  the  1st 
of  February,  McDonald  deposited  £1,200,  part  of  the  proceeds 
of  the  forgeries,  with  Messrs.  J.  S.  Morgan  &  Co.,  the  Ameri- 
can bankers,  and  drew  it  out  again  on  the  twenty-first  of  that 
month.  One  of  the  bank-notes  in  which  the  sum  was  paid 
had  been  traced  into  the  possession  of  George  Bidwell,  and 
another  was  found  upon  Noyes  at  the  time  of  his  arrest.  In 
this  transaction,  therefore,  the  four  prisoners  were  concerned. 
The  first  forged  bill  would  become  due  on  the  25th  of  March, 
and  it  was  so  arranged  that  during  the  whole  of  the  time  the 
forged  bills  were  pouring  into  the  bank  the  genuine  bills  pre- 
viously discounted  were  becoming  due  and  being  paid. 

While  the  prisoners  were  making  their  arrangements  to 
escape,  the  forgeries  were  discovered  in  the  most  accidental 
way.  Two  bills  for  £1,000  each,  purported  to  be  accepted  by 
Mr.  W.  Blydenstein  of  Great  St.  Helens,  had  been  made  pay- 
able at  sight,  but  curiously  enough  the  date  had  been  omitted, 
and  the  bank  authorities  suspecting  nothing  wrong,  sent  a 
clerk  on  to  Mr.  Blydenstein's  office  to  get  the  omission  sup- 
plied. The  moment  the  bills  were  seen  the  forgery  was  dis- 
covered, and  the  scheme  of  the  prisoners  was  at  an  end. 
The  bank  found  that  Warren  had  been  operating  upon  Hor- 
ton's  account  at  the  Continental  Bank,  and  by  a  mere 
accident  the  chief  cashier  of  the  bank  happened  to  be  making 
inquiries  there  when  the  prisoner  Noyes  entered.  He  was  at 
once  pointed  out  and  given  into  custody,  and  it  was  found 
that  on  the  same  day  he  had  purchased  £26,000  worth  of 
American  bonds,  and  had  cashed  a  check  of  Horton's  for 
£5,000.  What  was  his  conduct  when  arrested  ?  He  knew  that 
both  McDonald  and  George  Bidwell  were  within  the  grasp  of 
the  law,  but  he  made  no  disclosure,  and  he  merely  gave  an 


THE   ''PLANT''   DESTROYED.  995 

address  at  Durant's  Hotel,  where  he  had  not  slept  for  a  fort- 
night. He  thus  allowed  his  confederates  time  to  collect  the 
plunder,  then  lying  at  his  and  their  lodgings,  and  to  send  it 
to  other  countries,  the  result  being  that  some  part  of  it  was 
still  unrecovered.  A  day  or  two  later  Bidwell  and  McDonald 
went  to  a  hotel  at  St.  Leonard's,  and  ordering  a  large  fire  to 
be  prepared,  they,  as  the  prosecution  alleged,  destroyed  all 
the  plant  used  in  the  course  of  this  scheme.  [This  is  an 
error,  it  having  been  destroyed  at  Mac's  lodgings  in  Lon- 
don,»as  previously  stated.  —  G.  B.]  On  the  same  occasion 
they  sent  to  New  York  X 50,000  worth  of  American  bonds  in 
a  trunk  addressed  to  Major  George  Matthews,  which  has  since 
been  seized  by  the  police.  In  the  rooms  occupied  by  McDon- 
ald in  St.  James  Street,  blotting-paper  was  found  bearing 
impressions  of  the  writing  in  some  letters  addressed  to 
Austin  Bidwell  at  New  York,  and  of  the  stamps  and  endorse- 
ments of  the  forged  bills,  and  a  London  directory  was  also 
discovered  from  which  a  list  of  engravers  was  cut.  Mr. 
Giffard  then  went  in  detail  into  the  circumstances  of  the  pris- 
oner George  Bidwell's  escape  into  Ireland,  of  his  ultimate 
arrest  in  Edinburgh,  and  read  a  passage  in  a  letter  addressed 
by  him  to  George  McDonald,  as  follows : 

Your  friend  has  had  a  series  of  most  extraordinary  adventures 
since  you  saw  him.  -  A  hell's  chase  and  no  mistake.  His  nerve 
has  stood  him  through  two  taps  on  the  shoulder,  and  four  encoun- 
ters with  detectives.  He  has  been  a  Fenian,  a  priest,  a  professor, 
a  Frenchman,  a  German,  a  Russian  who  could  speak  only  -'  veree 
leetle  Engles,  mais  un  peu  de  Francais  et  AUemand,"  and  a  deaf 
and  dumb  man  with  a  slate  and  pencil, —  all  in  the  space  of  a  week. 

The  learned  counsel  also  described  the  prisoner's  unsuc- 
cessful efforts  to  get  rid  of  some  of  the  witnesses  in  the  case, 
and  his  attempts  to  make  sure  that  the  property  reached 
America  safely.  He  also  stated  that  George  Bidwell  had 
assumed  sixteen  different  aliases. 

That  he  said  was  the  case  for  the  prosecution,  and  the 
jury  would  say  by  their  verdict  when  they  heard  the  evidence 


296  ''LES  MISEEABLES." 

whether  it  was  possible  to  entertain  the  smallest  doubt  that 
each  and  all  of  the  prisoners  combined  together  in  carrying 
out  their  gigantic  scheme,  and  having  as  they  thought  de- 
stroyed all  traces  of  the  proceeds,  sought  to  betake  themselves 
to  another  country,  and  there  enjoy  their  ill-gotten  gains. 

It  being  now  five  o'clock,  and  Mr.  Giffard  having  finished 
his  opening  statement,  after  speaking  upwards  of  three  hours, 
the  trial  was  adjourned  until  next  morning,  and  the  jury  were 
escorted  by  a  sworn  officer  of  the  court  to  the  Cannon  Street 
Terminus  Hotel,  to  pass  the  night  without  separating.    • 

About  one  o'clock  each  day  the  court  adjourned  for 
luncheon.  The  illustrations  will  give  an  ide>a  of  what  kind 
of  a  time  the  lawyers  were  having,  while  we  poor  wretches 
were  put  beneath  into  a  large  vaulted  cell  in  the  basement  of 
the  Old  Bailey.  Some  food  was  brought  in  from  a  restau- 
rant, but  none  of  us  were  in  circumstances  to  feel  jolly  over 
our  dinner.  Neither  of  us  could  avoid  the  thought  that  a 
very  slight  turn  in  the  tide  of  affairs,  at  some  period  of  his 
life,  might  have  made  him  one  of  the  laughing  lunchers 
above,  instead  of  a  miserable  below  stairs. 


o 


o 


o 


Chapter  XXIX. 


THE  TRIAL  CONTINUED  —  SECOND  DAT,  TUESDAY,  AUGUST  19th — MR.  EDWARD  HAMIL- 
TON GREEN,  MASTER  TAILOR,  TESTIFIES  —  HOW  DETECTIVES  SOMETIMES  MANU- 
FACTURE "EVIDENCE  "  —  MR.  EDWARD  ELLIOT  GREEN  ALSO  TESTIFIES  —  EXAM- 
INATION OF  MR.  ROBERT  BLOOMFIELD  FENWICK,  SUB-MANAGER  —  COL.  PERE- 
GRINE MADGWICK  FRANCIS,  MANAGER  OF  THE  WESTERN  BRANCH  OF  THE  BANK 
OF  ENGLAND  —  COMMERCIAL  CORRESPONDENCE  —  A  ROTHSCHILD'S  SIGNATURE. 

AT  the  opening  of  the  court  at  ten  o'clock,  the  trial  begun 
the  clay  before  continued  to  excite  much  interest. 
The  first  witness  for  the  prosecution  was  Mr.  Edward 
Hamilton  Green,  a  master  tailor  and  army  clothier  at  35 
Saville  Row.  He  said,  replying  to  Mr.  Watkin  Williams,  Q. 
C,  that  he  recognized  Austin  Bidwell  and  George  McDonald. 
They  called  on  him  in  April,  1872,  with  another  person,  and 
ordered  some  clothes,  signing  their  names  in  a  book.  Austin 
Bidwell, signed  the  name  of  F.  A.  Warren,  and  gave  an  address 
at  21  Enfield  Road,  Hagerston.  McDonald  signed  Edward  R. 
Swift,  and  gave  the  same  address.  The  third  person,  named 
Sebert,  did  not  sign.  Witness  made  them  a  quantity  of  clothes. 
On  the  4th  of  May,  the  two  prisoners,  Austin  Bidwell  and 
McDonald,  called  again  in  a  cab  with  Sebert,  and  tried  on  the 
clothes  which  witness  had  made  for  them.  The  two  prison- 
ers said  they  were  about  to  visit  Ireland,  and  were  in  a  hurry 
to  catch  a  train.  Austin  Bidwell  said  that  he  had  more 
money  than  he  thought  prudent  to  leave  at  his  lodgings,  and 
that  it  amounted  to  about  two  thousand  pounds,  and  he  asked 
witness  to  take  charge  of  it.  Witness  recommended  him  to 
some  hank,  adding  that  his  haiilcers  were  close  at  hand,  and  he 
accompanied  him  to  the  Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  Eng- 
land, where  witness  keeps  an  account,  and  where  they  saw  Mr. 

(297) 


298  THE   TAILOR  S  TALE. 

Fen  wick,  the  assistant  manager.  Witness  introduced  Austin 
Bid  well  to  him,  and  said  he  had  a  sum  of  money  which  he 
wished  to  deposit.  Austin  Bidwell  had  gone  with  witness 
alone.  [The  italicized  words  do  not  bear  out  Mr.  Giffard's 
statement  in  his  opening  speech,  that  Mr.  Green  suggested  to 
Warren  that  he  should  ''  deposit  the  sum  in  the  Western 
Branch."  Reference  to  Chapter  XIII  will  show  that  the 
opening  of  this  account  was  a  pure  accident,  and  had  nothing 
to  do  with  a  fraud  yet  unth ought  of. —  G.  B.] 

A  bank  signature  book  was  brought,  and  in  that  the  pris- 
oner wrote  his  name  and  address.  Mr.  Fenwick  asked  how  he 
wished  to  be  described,  and  he  said  as  an  agent.  He  then 
handed  the  money  to  Mr.  Fenwick,  who  thereupon  gave  him  a 
check-book.  The  prisoner  said  more  money  would  he  remitted 
to  the  Bank  in  a  week  or  two.  [The  preceding  words  in  ital- 
ics have  no  foundation  whatever  in  fact,  but  it  was  necessary 
that  the  witnesses,  Messrs.  Fenw^ick  and  Green,  should  both 
"  remember  "  that  particular,  or  the  theory  of  the  prosecution 
could  not  be  sustained.  I,  by  no  means,  impugn  the  good 
faith  of  either  gentleman,  but  every  lawyer  know^s  how  easily 
witnesses,  by  subtle  suggestions  or  acute  questioning  regard- 
ing events  some  months  past,  can  be  brought  to  fancy  that 
they  really  remember  a  thing  that  would  not  be  inconsistent 
with  the  circumstances  of  the  interview  in  question.  Detec- 
tives are  adepts  in  getting  up  that  sort  of ''  evidence."  —  G.  B.] 

He  returned  with  witness  to  Saville  Row,  and  the  three  par- 
ties then  went  aw^ay  together  in  a  cab.  Witness  had  since 
seen  them  several  times.  The  clothes  they  ordered  were  sent 
to  the  address  given  in  Enfield  Road,  Hagerston.  [Where  I 
was  lodging. —  G.  B.] 

By  Mr.  Mclntyre  in  cross-examination  :  —  The  prisoner 
Austin  Bidwell  wrote  his  name  and  address  as  F.  A.  Warren, 
21  Enfield  Road,  Hagerston,  in  witness's  book.  On  the  4th  of 
May  there  was  more  than  one  person  with  him  when  he  came, 
and  when  they  returned  from  the  bank,  there  was  more  than 
one  waiting  for  him. 


"STUNNING'*   NAMES. 


299 


He  wanted  to  leave  the  money  with  witness,  but  witness 
declined  the  responsibility  and  offered  to  introduce  him  to  his 
own  banker.  He  had  seen  Austin  Bidwell  more  than  once 
before  the  4th  of  May.  Replying  to  Mr.  Giffard,  Q.  C,  wit- 
ness said  the  date  of  the  first  supply  of  clothes  was  the  18th 
of  April. 

Mr.  Edward  Elliott  Green,  son  and  partner  of  the  previ- 
ous witness,  was  called,  and  corroborated  his  father's  evidence 
in  material  points,  and  spoke  to  having  seen  Warren  nearly 
twenty  times  at  his  father's  place  of  business  in  Saville  Row. 
The  third  person  who  called  gave  no  name  and  address. 


ENTRANCE  TO  BULLION  VAULTS,  BANK  OF  ENGLAND. 

Mr.  Robert  Bloomfield  Fenwick,  sub-agent  to  the  Bank  of 
England  at  the  Western  Branch,  Burlington  Gardens,  was 
examined  after  Mr.  Green.  He  said  Mr.  Edward  Hamilton 
Green,  the  last  witness  but  one,  was  a  customer  of  theirs. 
On  the  4th  of  May,  Mr.  Green  came  to  the  bank  with  a 
stranger,  whom  witness  now  recognized  as  Austin  Bidwell, 
and  who  was  introduced  to  him  as  Mr.  Warren.     Witness 


300  ENGLISH  TOURISTS  TO  BE  FAVORED. 

was  told  he  was  an  American  gentleman  who  had  a  con- 
siderable sum  of  money,  which  he  wished  to  deposit.  The 
prisoner  himself  gave  the  name  of  Warren,  and  he  wrote  his 
name  and  address  in  the  signature  book.  He  first  Avrote 
F.  A.  Warren,  and  on  the  witness  asking  him  to  write  his  name 
in  full,  he  wrote  Frederick  Albert  Warren,  and  gave  his 
address,  the  Golden  Cross  Hotel,  Charing  Cross.  On  being 
asked  how  witness  was  to  describe  him,  he  replied  that  he  was 
there  more  on  business  for  others  than  for  himself.  He  at 
length  described  himself  as  a  commission  agent,  and  he 
opened  an  account  with  <£  1,200.  Witness  then  gave  him  a 
check-book,  and  a  credit  slip  was  made  out  at  the  time  in  his 
presence. 

Witness  said  a  pass-book  should  be  prepared  for  him,  and 
he  believed  he  afterwards  called  for  it.  He  said  he  should 
have  more  money  to  fay  in  [See  Green's  evidence  before  and 
my  criticism. —  G.  B.],  and  he  asked  if  it  should  come  through 
Mr.  Green.  Witness  said  it  was  not  necessary.  On  the  7th 
of  January  last  witness  saw  the  prisoner,  Austin  Bidwell, 
again  in  the  agent's  room  of  the  bank.  Col.  Francis,  the 
agent,  being  present.  After  some  conversation,  the  prisoner 
then  threw  down  on  the  agent's  table  a  bill  of  Messrs.  Roths- 
child for  £4,500  saying :  "  There,  I  suppose  that  is  good 
enough  paper  for  you." 

He  at  first  talked  about  sleeping-cars,  and  said  he  hoped  to 
soon  see  English  tourists  going  to  the  A^ienna  Exhibition  in 
them.  H6  also  said  he  had  the  choice  of  three  different  fac- 
tories in  Birmingham,  and  he  added  that  he  was  going  there 
at  once,  and  hoped  to  commence  business  by  the  1st  of  Feb- 
ruary. He  mentioned  a  patent  brake  and  also  a  signal  light 
for  the  front  of  railway  engines.  On  the  bill  being  put  down, 
he  asked  to  have  it  discounted,  and  Col.  Francis  acceded  to 
his  request. 

That  was  a  genuine  bill  and  it  was  afterwards  paid.  His 
account  continued  at  the  bank  until  the  1st  of  March,  and  his 
pass-book  was  sent  to  him.     It  then  contained  checks  which 


TESTIMONY  OF  COL.  FRANCIS. 


101 


had  been  received  and  paid.  It  was  a  practice  at  the  bank 
for  customers  to  sign  the  signature-book  when  they  received 
a  check-book.  Witness  produced  two  of  the  signatures  of 
the  prisoner,  Austin  Bidwell,  in  the  name  of  F.  A.  Warren 
which  the  prisoner  wrote  in  the  bank-book.  The  credit  slips 
produced  and  which  had  been  received  between  May  and 
August,  1872,  were  all  in  Warren's  handwriting.  Being  cross- 
examined,  the  witness  said  he  made  no  inquiries  at  the  Golden 
Cross  Ilotel  which  the  prisoner  had  given  as  his  address.     He 


BANK    OF    ENGLAND    BULLION   VAULTS. 

signed  two  or  three  times  in  all.  To  the  best  of  his  helief  he 
did  not  remember  the  jjrisoner  speaking  to  him  at  any  time 
about  closing  his  account.  His  balance  was  loiu  about  the  end 
of  May^  1872.  [See  page  140.]  Including  the  genuine  bill 
for  X 4,000  presented  for  discount  and  discounted,  his  balance 
on  the  17th  of  January  was  about  £3,500,  after  crediting  him 
with  the  discount  he  had  drawn. 

Col.  Peregrine  Madgwick  Francis,  examined  by  Mr.  Po- 
land, said  : 

I  am  the  agent  at  the  Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of 
England  in  Burlington  Gardens.  I  entered  upon  my  duties 
on  the  3d  of  June,  1872,  and  was  absent  on  leave  from  the 


3Q2  PORTUGUESE  BONDS  DISPOSED   OF. 

27th  of  July  to  the  27th  of  August.  Up  to  that  time  I  had 
not  seen  the  customer  F.  A.  Warren,  but  1  saw  him  on  the  3d 
of  September.  I  now  recognize  him  as  the  prisoner  Austin 
Bidwell. 

On  that  day  he  brought  some  Portuguese  bonds  and  asked 
me  to  take  charge  of  them.  They  were  of  the  nominal  value 
of  <£  8,000.  Mr.  Fenwick  introduced  him  to  me  as  Mr.  War- 
ren, and  he  sat  down  in  my  room. 

I  had  some  conversation  with  him.  He  said,  in  general, 
that  he  had  come  over  to  England  to  introduce  sundry  Amer- 
ican inventions,  first  and  foremost  of  which  were  the  sleeping- 
cars,  and  some  others.  I  asked  him  some  particulars  about 
an  improved  brake,  but  he  excused  himself  from  replying,  on 
the  ground  that  it  was  a  secret.  He  said  he  hoped  the  sleep- 
ing-cars would  be  in  use  by  the  time  of  the  opening  of  the 
Vienna  exhibition,  and  that  he  expected  soon  to  introduce  a 
company  into  England  for  their  manufacture.  I  understood 
him  to  say  he  was  then  working  with  a  view  to  their  introduc- 
tion on  a  foreign  line. 

He  said  he  was  going  to  work  at  Birmingham.  That 
was  the  substance  of  the  conversation.  I  knew  he  was  an 
American,  and  that  the  cars  were  American  sleeping-cars.  I 
filled  him  up  a  form  for  the  Portuguese  bonds,  amounting  to 
<£  8,000,  and  he  signed  it  in  my  presence.  It  was  a  voucher 
to  receive  and  hold  them  on  his  own  account.  Next  day  I 
saw  him  again,  when  he  brought  X4,000,  nominal  value,  more 
of  the  same  securities,  and  said  he  wished  to  have  the  whole 
of  them  sold,  and  he  fixed  a  limit,  forty-one  and  three-fourths 
per  cent.,  as  the  price.  I  undertook  to  sell  them  for  him.  I 
wrote  out  the  usual  request,  and  he  signed  it  in  my  presence. 

On  the  9th  of  September  I  saw  him  again,  and  he  asked 
me  for  an  advance  of  £2,000  on  the  bonds.  I  made  him  that 
advance  until  the  time  of  the  sale,  and  he  signed  a  paper  in 
ordinary  form  in  my  presence,  relating  to  the  transaction. 
The  bonds  were  sold  for  X 5,025,  which  sum  then  went  to  his 
credit,  on  the  14th  of  September.     I  saw  him  again  on  the 


BILLS  DISCOUNTED.  3()3 

26th  of  November,  when  he  brought  in  two  bills  on  Messrs. 
Suse  &  Sibeth,  for  £500  each,  and  asked  me  if  I  could  dis- 
count them  for  him.  They  were  dated  the  31st  of  October, 
1872,  and  were  three-months  bills.  They  were  drawn  by 
Isidoro  Hess,  of  Ferrara,  and  payable  at  Messrs.  Martins  in 
London.  He  asked  if  I  would  discount  them  for  him,  and  I 
replied  that  I  must  inquire  about  them  first.  I  took  them  to 
the  city  and  got  permission  to  discount  them  for  him.  I  saw 
him  afterwards,  and  they  were  discounted  on  the  29th  of 
November.  He  said  he  might  ask  us  to  discount  a  few  more 
of  the  same  character.  The  amount  of  the  two  bills  dis- 
counted were  placed  to  his  credit,  less  the  discount.  I  saw 
him  again  on  the  23d  of  December,  and  he  then  told  me  he 
was  going  to  Birmingham  and  would  send  us  a  few  bills  of 
the  same  stamp  as  those  we  had  taken.  He  said  he  was  going 
there  about  his  workshops.  Nothing  further  passed  on  that 
occasion,  and  he  left.     On  the  30th  of  December  I  received 

this  letter : 

Birmingham,  December  28,  1872. 
Col.  p.  M.  Francis,  Bank  of  England  (W.  B.),  London: 

Sir,  —  Enclosed  I  hand  you  bills  for  discount,  as  per  accom- 
panying memorandum.  Will  you  please  place  the  proceeds  of  the 
same  to  credit  of  my  account,  and  oblige 

Yours  faithfully,  F.  A.  Warren, 

I  have  been  delaying  sending  these  bills  for  discount  in  expecta- 
tion of  a  lower  bank  rate.  However,  as  I  have  to-day  given  checks 
overdrawing  my  account,  you  will  oblige  me  by  placing  them  to 
my  credit.     I  am  yours,  etc.,  F.  A.  W. 

The  letter  contained  a  memorandum  and  ten  bills  for 
<£ 4,307.  They  were  all  genuine  bills,  and  were  all  paid  at 
maturity.  I  discounted  them,  and  the  amount,  less  the  dis- 
count, was  placed  to  the  credit  of  Warren's  account.  After 
that  I  did  not  see  him  again  until  about  the  6th  of  January. 
At  the  end  of  December  the  balance  standing  to  his  credit 
was  £3,604  13s.  and  3c?.  I  saw  him  again  in  my  own  room 
on  the  17th  of  January,  when  he  spoke  to  me  about  discount- 


304  "^   A'i:if^  IT  AND  AT   THE  BELLOWS.** 

ing  a  bill  for  X 4,500.  He  brought  it  out  with  rather  a  flour- 
ish and  put  it  down  on  my  table  in  an  off-hand  way,  saying, 
"  I  suppose  that  will  be  good  enough  paper  for  you." 

It  was  a  bill  on  Messrs.  Rothschild  for  X 4,500.  I  looked 
at  it  and  discounted  it  for  him.  Up  to  that  time,  including 
that  bill,  I  had  discounted  genuine  bills  for  him  to  the  amount 
of  £9,807  3s.  and  6d. 

In  the  list  of  bills  I  discounted  in  December,  there  was  an 
acceptance  by  Mr.  Oilman  for  £300.  The  next  time  I  saw 
him  I  said  we  had  made  inquiries  about  the  bill,  and  that  we 
did  not  want  to  have  a  larger  amount  from  that  acceptor. 
The  bill,  however,  was  a  very  good  one,  and  we  had  no 
objection  to  Mr.  Oilman.  Austin  Bidwell,  on  the  17th  of 
January,  looked  exceedingly  ill,  and  said  he  had  been  thrown 
from  his  horse.  * 

That  was  the  last  time  I  saw  him  until  he  was  in  custody 
at  the  Mansion  House.  On  the  22d  of  January  I  received 
the  registered  letter  produced  from  Warren,  and  three  bills 
enclosed  with  a  memorandum.  The  amount  was  for  £4,250, 
and  the  bills  were  endorsed  by  him.  The  letter  was  as 
follows : 

Birmingham,  January  21,  1873. 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  hand  you  herewith,  as  per  enclosed  memorandum, 
bills  for  discount,  the  proceeds  of  which  please  place  to  my  credit. 

I  remain,  dear  sir,  Yours  very  truly, 

F.  A.  Warren. 

To  Col.  P.  M.  Francis, 

Manager  Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England. 

[Above  and  following  letters  were  written  by  me,  Warren 
not  being  in  England.  —  O.  B.] 

Mr.  Oiffard,  interposing,  said:  We  propose  to  read  the 
first  bill  now,  as  that  is  a  subject  of  indictment.  Mr.  Avery, 
the  clerk  of  arraigns,  said  the  bill  was  one  for  £1,000,  pur- 
porting to  be  drawn  by  H.  C.  Streeter,  and  accepted,  payable 
three  months  after  date,  by  the  London  and  Westminster 
Bank.     The  acceptance  was  in  the  names  of  Mr.  H.  F.  Bill- 


AN  OBJECTION.  OQ^ 

ingliurst,  the  sub-country  manager,  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Nichols, 
signing  on  behalf  of  the  secretary.  Col.  Francis,  resuming, 
said :  Those  three  acceptances  are  similar  to  some  of  the 
general  acceptances  given  on  the  30th  of  December.  They 
were  all  discounted,  and  the  account  credited  with  the  amount. 
They  became  due  on  the  31st  of  March,  the  3d  of  April,  and 
the  13th  of  April.  They  were  presented  in  due  course,  and 
returned  as  forged. 

On  the  25th  of  January  I  received  the  registered  letter  and 
memorandum  produced  from  Birmingham,  with  the  eight  bills 
mentioned  in  the  memorandum.     The  letter  was  as  follows : 

Birmingham,  January  24,  1873. 
Col.  p.  M.  Francis,  Manager  Western  Branch  Bank  of  England: 

Dear  Sir,  —  Enclosed  I  hand  you  bills  for  discount,  as  per 
enclosed  memorandum,  and  which  please  have  placed  to  ray  credit 
on  receipt.  The  reduction  in  Bank  rate  came  quite  opportunely 
for  my  wants.     I  am,  dear  sir. 

Yours  very  truly,  F.  A.  Warren. 

I  do  not  think  the  signature  to  the  letter  is  Warren's.  It 
is  an  imitation  of  it,  but  I  took  it  at  the  time  to  be  in  his 
handwriting.  I  also  took  the  endorsements  to  the  bills  to  be 
in  his  handwriting.  There  were  eight  bills,  and  they  were 
discounted  by  me  and  placed  to  Warren's  credit. 

Mr.  Mclntyre,  interposing,  objected  to  the  admissibility  of 
this  evidence,  on  the  -ground  that  it  was  not  proved  to  be  in 
Warren's  handwriting.  Mr.  Justice  Archibald  overruled  the 
objection,  saying  it  would  be  a  matter  on  which  to  address 
the  jury  when  the  proper  time  arrived.  Mr.  Mclntyre  sub- 
mitted there  was  no  evidence  of  authority.  The  judge  said 
he  would  take  a  note  of  the  objection.  Witness,  resuming, 
said:  The  amount  of  the  bills  in  question  was  X 9,350,  and 
that  sum  was  placed  to  the  credit  of  the  account,  on  the  25th. 
Of  the  eight  bills,  two  purported  to  be  accepted  by  Messrs. 
N.  M.  de  Rothschild  &  Sons,  two  by  Mr.  B.  W.  Blydenstein, 
one  by  the  Anglo-Austrian  Bank,  one  by  Suse  &  Sibeth,  one 
by  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank,  and  one  by  the  Inter- 
20 


306  WARREN'S  SIGNATURE  "  VERY  BAD." 

national  Bank  of  Hamburg  and  London ;  and  they  were  all 
similar  in  appearance  to  bills  of  the  same  parties  which  the 
bank  had  discomited  previously.  On  the  4th  of  February  I 
received  the  following  letter  from  Warren : 

Birmingham,  February  3,  1873. 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  did  not  duly  acknowledge  your  esteemed  favor 
of  the  24th  of  January,  as  I  daily  expected  to  come  to  the  city,  but 
do  not  find  myself  yet  able  for  the  journey,  still  suffering  greatly 
from  my  fall,  or  rather  its  effects;  but  I  hope  to  see  you  before  long. 

Please  direct  as  last,  as  I  am  staying  with  a  friend  a  short  dis- 
tance out  of  town.     Letters  will  reach  me  directed  to  this  ofiBce. 

1  enclose  you  bills  as  per  memorandum,  of  which  please  place 
the  value  to  my  credit,  on  receipt.     I  remain,  dear  sir, 

Yours  faithfully,  F.  A.  Warren. 

Enclosed  were  eleven  bills,  amounting  in  all  to  £11,072 
18s.  and  Qd.  They  were  discounted,  the  discount  deducted, 
and  the  balance  placed  to  the  credit  of  Warren's  account. 
The  signature  of  F.  A.  Warren  to  the  letter  was  very  bad 
indeed,  and  is  an  imitation  of  his  signature,  not  so  like  his 
own  as  many  of  the  others.  There  is  an  indecision  about  the 
endorsements.  The  acceptors  of  the  bills  were  Messrs.  Roths- 
child, the  Bank  of  Belgium  and  Holland,  the  Anglo-Austrian 
Bank,  the  International  Bank  of  Hamburg  and  London,  Mr. 
B.  W.  Blydenstein,  and  Messrs.  Baring  Bros.  One  bill  for 
X 2,500  in  the  batch  appears  to  have  been  altered  from  £25 
to  £2,500.  The  acceptance  is  genuine,  but  it  was  refused 
payment,  in  respect  of  the  excess.  All  the  others  were 
returned  as  forgeries.  I  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  the 
bills  by  a  letter  addressed  to  F.  A.  Warren,  P.  0.  Birming- 
ham. On  the  10th  of  February  I  received  the  registered 
letter  produced,  dated  the  8th  of  February,  with  a  memoran- 
dum including  two  bills  amounting,  together,  to  £4,642  19s. 
and  id.     The  letter  was  as  follows : 

Birmingham,  February  8,  1878. 

Dear  Sir,  — -Your  favor  of  the  4th,  acknowledging  receipt  of 
bills  mailed  the  3d  inst.,  came  duly  to  hand.     Enclosed  I  hand  you 


A  ''BATCH''   OF  BILLS.  307 

bills  and  memorandum,  proceeds  of  which  place  to  my  credit  on 
receipt,  and  accept  assurances,  etc.     I  am,  dear  sir, 

Yours  faithfully,  F.  A.  Warren. 

The  two  bills  which  purported  to  be  accepted  by  Messrs. 
Rothschild  and  the  International  Bank  of  Hamburg  were  dis- 
counted, and  his  account  credited  with  the  amount.  They 
were  afterwards  returned  as  forged.  On  the  13th  of  Febru- 
ary I  received  another  registered  letter,  dated  the  12th,  from 
Birmingham,  with  a  memorandum  and  a  batch  of  bills  four- 
teen in  number,  amounting  to  <£  14,696  16s.  and  2d.  Those 
were  discounted  and  the  amount  placed  to  the  credit  of  his 
account.     The  letter  was  as  follows  : 

Birmingham,  February  12,  1873. 
Dear  Sir,  —  Enclosed   I   hand  you   bills   for  discount  as  per 
memorandum  herewith.    Please  have  proceeds  placed  to  credit  of  my 
account  on  receipt.     I  remain,  dear  sir,  yours  faithfully, 

F.  A.  Warren. 
To  Col.  P.  M.  Francis,  Manager,  etc. 

There  is  a  P.  S.  as  follows : 

My  Dear  Sir,  —  The  mail  was  so  near  closing  when  I  wrote  my 
last,  that  I  did  not  have  the  time  to  make  a  proper  acknowledg- 
ment of  your  good  wishes  in  my  behalf,  as  expressed  in  the  P.  S. 
of  yours  of  the  14th  inst.,  and  now  I  take  occasion  to  return  you 
my  sincere  thanks,  and  to  inform  you  that  I  am  gradually,  but 
slowly,  recovering,  and  am  succeeding  thus  far  in  matters  of  busi- 
ness to  my  wish.     I  remain,  dear  sir,  yours  faithfully, 

F.  A.  W. 

The  acceptors  were  Messrs.  Rothschild,  the  Anglo- Austrian 
Bank,  the  International  Bank  of  Hamburg,  Messrs.  Suse  & 
Sibeth,  the  Bank  of  Belgium  and  Holland,  Messrs.  Brown, 
Shipley  &  Co.,  Messrs.  Baring  Brothers,  the  London  and 
Westminster  Bank,  and  the  Agra  Bank.  Those  bills  were 
presented  in  due  course  and  returned  as  forgeries.  On  the 
21st  of  February  I  received  a  registered  letter,  dated  the  20th, 
from  Birmingham,  inclosing  sixteen  bills,  amounting  in  all  to 
£14,686  15s.  and  4^.     The  acceptors  were  Messrs.  Mitchell, 


308     WARREN  HOPES   TO  RESUME   ''ACTIVE  LIFE." 

Yeames  &  Co.,  the  Russian  Bank  of  Foreign  Trade,  the  Union 
Bank,    Mr.    Blydenstein,    Messrs.    Rothschild,    the    Anglo- 
Austrian  Bank,  the    London    and  Westminster   Bank,  and 
Messrs.  Baring  Brothers. 
The  letter  was  as  follows : 

Birmingham,  February  20,  1873. 
Dear  Sir,  —  Enclosed  1  hand  you  bills  with  memorandum  for 
discount,  proceeds  of  which  please  place  to  the  credit  of  my  account, 
on  receipt. 

I  remain,  dear  sir,  yours  faithfully, 

F.  A.  Warren. 
To  CoL.  P.  M.  Francis,  Manager  : 

P.  S.  My  Dear  Sir,  —  I  am  happy  to  inform  you  that  my 
doctor  reports  me  as  doing  finely,  with  the  prospect,  should  no 
drawback  occur,  of  resuming  my  active  life  again  in  a  few  days. 
Under  these  circumstances,  I  hope  soon  to  have  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  you,  and,  in  the  meantime,  I  remain,  dear  sir, 

Yours  faithfully, 

F.  A.  Warren. 

They  were  discounted  and  the  amount  credited  with  them. 
They  were  subsequently  presented  and  returned  as  forgeries. 
On  the  25th  of  February  I  received  a  registered  letter  couched 
in  similar  terms,  dated  Birmingham,  February  24th,  inclosing 
bills,  sixteen  in  number,  amounting  to  .£19,253  10s.  and  ScZ., 
which  were  presented  in  due  course  and  returned  as  forgeries. 
I  had  discounted  them  and  placed  the  amount  to  his  credit. 

Among  the  alleged  acceptors  were  the  London  and  West- 
minster Bank,  Messrs.  Baring  Brothers,  the  Bank  of  Belgium 
and  Holland,  Mr.  Blydenstein,  the  International  Bank  of 
Hamburg,  Messrs.  Suse  &  Sibeth,  Messrs.  Schroeder  <fe  Co., 
and  the  Union  Bank. 

I  also  produce  a  registered  letter  I  received  on  the  27th 
of  February  from  Birmingham,  containing  a  memorandum 
and  I  think  twenty-four  bills,  amounting  in  all  to  X 26,265. 
The  letter  is  as  follows : 


DATE    OF   "SIGHTING''    OMITTED.  3Q9 

Birmingham,  February  27,  1873. 
Col.  p.  M.  Francis,  Manager  : 

Dear  Sir,  —  Enclosed  I  hand  you  memorandum  with  bills  for  dis- 
count, proceeds  of  which  please  place  to  the  credit  of  my  account 
on  receipt.  I  have  yours  of  25th,  acknowledging  receipt  of  bills 
sent  on  24th.  I  remain,  dear  sir,  yours  faithfully, 

F.  A.   Warren. 

P.  S.  My  Dear  Sir:  —  I  take  this  opportunity  of  thanking  you 
for  the  trouble  you  have  taken  on  my  behalf  in  making  special 
application  to  the  Bank  Committee  about  the  Anglo-Austrian  and 
Eussian  Bank  bills. 

I  have  some  of  each  to  the  amount  of  about  £6,000,  and  shall 
'either  get  two  endorsements  on  them,  or  return  them  to  my 
friends.  Accept,  dear  sir,  the  assurance  of  my  esteem,  while  I 
remain  yours  faithfully,  F.  A.  Warren. 

Of  those  bills  I  discounted  all  but  two,  and  the  account 
was  credited  with  £24,265.  Those  two  bills  were  for  £1,000 
each,  and  payable  three  months  after  sight.  The  date  of  the 
sighting  was  omitted.  They  were  sent  to  the  office  of  Mr.  B. 
W.  Blydenstein,  the  alleged  acceptor,  on  the  28th,  to  be 
sighted,  upon  which  they  were  returned  as  forgeries. 

The  remaining  portion  of  that  batch  of  bills  was  presented 
in  due  course  and  returned  as  forgeries.     [The  witness  then 
produced  various  paid  checks  of  Warren's,  including  several  ■ 
for  considerable  sums  drawn  in  favor  of  C.  J.  Horton.] 

The  gross  amount  paid  in  from  the  opening  of  the  account 
to  the  end  of  December  was  £17,504  19s.  and  4tZ.  That  in- 
cluded money  paid  in  and  bills  which  I  had  discounted.  Ex- 
cluding bills  which  I  had  discounted  amounting  to  £5,300  in 
round  numbers,  the  sum  paid  in  to  his  credit  amounting  to 
£12,200  odd  was  paid  in  cash  or  in  securities  representing 
cash.  Up  to  January  21st  all  the  bills  which  were  discounted 
were  genuine.  The  bill  for  £4,500,  discounted  on  the  18th 
of  January,  was  also  genuine  and  paid. 

Cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mclntyre,  Q.  C. :  I  have  been  a 
bank  manager  for  thirteen  years.  I  was  first  the  sub-agent 
of  the  Bank  of  England  at  Leeds,  then  agent  at  Hull,  and 


310  GENUINE   UP  TO  JANUARY  21ST. 

subsequently  agent  at  the  Western  Branch.  Before  that  I  was 
an  officer  in  the  army.  I  succeeded  Mr.  Pym  at  the  Western 
Branch.  We  have  there  the  address  of  every  customer.  My 
attention  was  first  called  to  the  account  of  Mr.  Warren  at  the 
close  of  August  on  my  return  from  leave.  I  am  not  aware 
that  I  went  through  his  account  at  that  time,  it  being  an  ordi- 
nary drawing  account.  The  only  address  of  Warren  was  the 
Golden  Cross  Hotel,  and  his  only  description  that  of  a  com- 
mission agent.  The  account  began  with  the  payment  in  of 
<£1,200,  and  I  found  when  I  retui-ned  at  the  ejid  of  August 
that  the  greater  part  of  it  had  been  drawn  out,  leaving  ji  bal- 
ance of  about  £39.  [That  corroborates  my  account  on  page 
138  et  seq.']  On  the  26th  and  27th  of  August  Warren  paid  in 
X200  altogether.  On  the  3d  of  December  the  balance  was 
£219.  When  he  brought  the  £8,000  in  Portuguese  bonds  I 
did  not  inquire  his  address,  nor  did  I  know  his  address  in  Bir- 
mingham. The  only  address  I  had  there  of  him  was  the 
post-office.  I  made  inquiries  at  the  head  office  of  the  Bank 
of  England  about  his  bills. 

His  account  then  showed  a  balance  of  £1,658  in  his  favor. 
The  bills  of  Suse  &  Sibeth  were  payable  in  the  city.  I  cer- 
tainly did  not  make  inquiries  as  to  those  bills ;  it  would  not 
have  been  usual.  Upon  information  obtained  I  discounted 
the  bills.  All  the  bills  I  received  from  Warren  until  the  21st 
of  January  last  were  genuine  and  paid  at  maturity.  Up  to 
that  period  I  wrote  him  at  Birmingham  and  only  to  the  post- 
office  there.  The  Bank  of  England  has  a  branch  there.  The 
letter  of  the  28th  of  December  was  the  first  I  received  from 
Warren.  Between  the  28th  of  December  and  the  21st  of 
January  I  had  no  letters  from  him ;  looking  now  at  the  bodies 
of  the  letters  of  those  dates  they  seem  somewhat  different. 
That  did  not  strike  me  at  the  time.  There  Avas  a  general 
similarity  in  all  the  letters  after  the  21st  of  January.  I  be- 
lieved up  to  that  time  that  all  the  letters  were  in  his  hand- 
writing. I  will  not  say  now  that  the  body  of  the  letter  of  the 
21st  of  January  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Warren.     It  may  be. 


WARREN  S  CIIIROGRAPHY  ALL  RIGHT.  ^\\ 

I  think  the  signature  is  Warren's.  I  afterwards  learned  that 
Warren  was  not  in  this  country  when  those  letters  were 
written.  That  may  possibly  have  induced  me  to  change  my 
opinion,  but  not  in  the  first  instance.  Very  likely  that 
induced  me  to  make  inquiries  on  the  subject.  There  were 
three  bills  inclosed  in  the  letter  of  the  21st  of  January.  Look- 
ing at  the  indorsement  of  these  three  bills  now  I  believe  them 
to  be  in  Warren's  handwriting.  They  have  all  the  little 
peculiarities  of  his  signature  and  a^i^ear  to  he  tvritten  freely. 
[I  wrote  them  myself.  —  G.  B.]  One  I  have  had  pointed  out 
to  me,  but  not  by  Mr.  Chabot,  the  expert.  I  never  saw  War- 
ren at  the  branch  bank  after  this  17th  January,  and  then  he 
looked  very  ill.  Being  asked  by  Mr.  Mclntyre  in  conclusion 
if  he  had  discounted  bills  for  a  man  who  had  onlv  2:iven  as  an 
address,  the  post-office  at  Birmingham,  the  witness  replied 
that  was  so,  but  said  he  communicated  with  headquarters  on 
the  subject  of  the  bills  tendered  for  discount.  He  went  on 
to  say  he  had  produced  in  court  that  day  all  the  letters  pur- 
porting to  come  from  Warren.  Being  examined  by  Mr.  Gif- 
fard,  Q.  C,  the  witness  said  on  the  17th  of  January  Warren 
told  him  that  he  hoped  to  have  his  workshops  in  full  opera- 
tion by  the  first  of  February.  That  was  the  occasion  on 
which  he  brought  the  bill  of  Messrs.  Rothschild.  He  had  no 
doubt  as  to  the  2,'enuineness  of  the  bills  at  that  time. 

Mr.  Henry  Farncombe  Billinghurst  was  next  called.  He 
said  he  is  the  sub-country  manager  of  the  London  and  Westmin- 
ster Bank.  Being  shown  the  bill  purporting  to  be  drawn  by 
H.  C.  Streeter,  of  Valparaiso,  upon  and  accepted  by  the  bank, 
he  said  it  was  a  forgery,  so  far  as  acceptance  and  witness's 
signature  were  concerned,  the  signature  being  a  bad  imitation 
of  his.  The  stamp  he  said,  was  an  imitation  of  that  used  by 
the  London  and  Westminster  Bank.  Shown  a  batch  of  bills 
bearing  similar  acceptances  and  stamps,  he  said  they  were  all 
forgeries,  none  of  the  supposed  drawers  having  an  account 
with  that  bank. 

Mr.  Alfred  Charles  de  Rothschild  was  called  and  examined 


^12  NINE  BANKERS   TESTIFY. 

by  Mr.  Crawford.  He  said  he  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
N.  M.  de  Rothschild  &  Sons.  Being  shown  eight  bills  pur- 
porting to  be  those  of  his  firm,  he  said  the  acceptance  was  not 
in  the  handwriting  of  any  member  of  it.  The  stamp  across 
the  bill,  he  said,  was  an  imitation  of  the  stamp  they  used  for 
acceptances,  and  was  not  genuine.  Shown  a  genuine  bill  of 
their  firm  for  X 4,500,  he  said  it  was  in  the  handwriting  of 
Sir  Anthony  de  Rothschild. 

Being  cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mclntyre,  witness  said  that 
the  bill  was  drawn  by  their  house  in  London  on  their  Paris 
house.  He  added  that  the  acceptance  of  the  forged  bill  was 
exactly  that  which  the  firm  used. 

By  Mr.  Giffard :  The  signature  to  the  forged  bills  pro- 
duced purported  to  be  that  of  Sir  Anthony  de  Rothschild,  but 
in  every  case  it  was  a  forgery.  There  was  a  certain  amount 
of  imitation  of  the  signatures,  and  some  might  think  it  good, 
but  he  did  not. 

Mr.  John  Rudolph  Lorent,  manager  of  the  Bank  of  Bel- 
gium and  Holland  —  Mr.  Herman  Gwinner,  manager  of  the 
International  Bank  of  Hamburg  and  London  —  Mr.  Charles 
John  Sibeth,  of  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Suse  &  Sibeth,  35  Lime 
Street  —  Mr.  Francis  Hamilton,  of  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Brown, 
Shipley  <fc  Co.  —  Mr.  Chas.  Lloyd  Norman,  of  the  firm  of 
Messrs.  Baring  Brothers — Mr.  Mayern,  clerk  in  the  Russian 
Bank  of  Foreign  Trade  —  Mr.  J.  T.  Byng,  assistant  manager 
of  the  Union  Bank  —  Mr.  W.  H.  Trumpler,  of  the  firm  of  B. 
W.  Blydenstein  &  Co.  —  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Nichols,  of  the  London 
and  Westminster  Bank  —  were  also  called,  and  gave  similar 
evidence  as  to  bills  purporting  to  bear  their  acceptances.  This 
concluded  that  class  of  evidence,  and  the  Court  adjourned  at 
four  o'clock  for  the  day.  Two  of  the  jury  were  unwell,  but 
the  charge  being  one  of  felony,  the  members  were  not  allowed 
to  separate  during  the  progress  of  the  trial,  and  were  taken, 
as  on  the  previous  evening,  to  the  Terminus  Hotel,  Cannon 
Street,  escorted  by  an  officer  of  the  Court,  to  spend  the  night. 


Chapter  XXX. 


THE  TRIAL  CONTINUED  —  THIRD  DAT,  WEDNESDAY,  AUGUST  20tH  —  GERMAN 
BARONS  AND  BANKERS  ON  THE  STAND  —  OPERATIONS  IN  FRANKFORT-ON- 
THE-MAIN  —  BANK  OF  ENGLAND  CLERKS  NARRATE  THEIR  EXPERIENCES  AND 
DISBURSEMENTS  —  THE  MANAGER  OF  THE  CONTINENTAL  BANK  IN  THE  WITNESS- 
BOX —  BANK  OF  ENGLAND  NOTES  EXCHANGED  FOR  GOLD,  AND  VICE  VERSA. 

THE  trial  was  continued,  at  10  o'clock. 
M.  August  Fleischmann,  examined  by  Mr.  Watkin  Wil- 
liams, Q.  C,  was  called.  Speaking  through  an  interpreter, 
Mr.  T.  Gregory  Smith,  of  the  Bank  of  England,  witness  said 
he  was  a  clerk  to  Messrs.  Koch,  Lautoin  &  Co.,  of  Frankfort, 
bankers.  He  recognized  the  prisoner,  Austin  Bidwell.  He 
saw  him  on  the  first  of  February  last  in  their  office  at  Frani^- 
fort.  The  prisoner  transacted  some  business  with  witness. 
He  bought  some  bonds  of  them,  giving  no  name.  Witness 
produced  a  note  of  that  purchase,  prepared  by  one  of  the 
partners,  and  which  was  handed  to  the  prisoner  at  the  time. 
It  was  in  English,  and  referred  to  the  purchase  of  $36,856  in 
United  States  bonds,  for  which  he  paid  in  Frankfort  bank 
notes. 

By  Mr.  Mclntyre,  in  cross-examination :  The  prisoner 
was  a  perfect  stranger  to  him.  Witness  was  going  in  and  out 
of  the  room  during  the  transaction.  He  had  not  seen  him 
since  until  the  trial. 

Baron  Hugo  von  Bethmann,  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Beth- 
mann,  Freres  &  Co.,  of  Frankfort,  said  he  knew  the  prisoner, 
Austin  Bidwell.  He  first  saw  him  on  the  13th  of  January. 
He  called  with  some  United  States  bonds  and  asked  them  to 
sell  them  for  him.  They  agreed  to  do  so.  He  was  known 
there    before    as    a    customer   by   that    name.     The   bonds 

(313) 


314  AMERICAN  BONDS. 

amounted  to  110,000,  and  witness  gave  the  numbers  of  them 
in  detail.  They  sold  them  for  him.  The  value  of  them  in 
English  would  be  little  more  than  X2,000,  and  a  bill  of  <£500 
was  given  to  the  prisoner  in  part  payment  for  them. 

Mr.  Giffard,  Q.  C,  addressing  the  Court,  said  that  was  the 
bill  referred  to  by  the  witness,  Mr.  Duncan,  on  the  previous 
evening,  as  having  been  received  at  the  post-office.  New  York, 
in  the  envelope  he  produced. 

The  witness.  Baron  Bethmann,  went  on  -to  say  that  the 
rest  was  paid  in  paper  money  of  the  Frankfort  Bank.  On  the 
first  of  February  the  prisoner  called  again  and  asked  witness 
to  sell  $10,000  more  for  him,  adding  that  their  price  had 
become  higher  than  it  was  a  short  time  before,  and  he  thought 
that  a  good  time  for  selling  them.  It  was  a  fact  that  the 
price  had  become  higher.  They  sold  the  second  lot  of  bonds 
for  him.  There  were  nine  bonds  of  $1,000  each,  and  two 
of  $500,  all  new.     The  value  of  them  in  all  was  about  <£  2,000. 

By  Mr.  Mclntyre,  Q.  C,  in  cross-examination :  American 
bonds  were  extensively  sold  in  Frankfort,  and  his  firm  were 
selling  them  largely  at  that  time.  The  cashier  of  witness's 
firm,  and  not  witness  himself,  paid  the  prisoner  for  the  bonds. 

By  Mr.  Giffard,  Q.  C. :  He  had  no  doubt  whatever  that 
the  bill  in  question  was  the  one  given  to  the  prisoner,  Austin 
Bidwell. 

Mr.  Meyer  Schwartzchild,  a  banker  and  money  dealer  at 
Frankfort,  examined  by  Mr.  Poland,  said  he  believed  he  rec- 
ognized the  two  prisoners,  George  and  Austin  Bidwell,  the 
former  by  the  name  of  H.  E.  Gilbert.  He  saw  George  Bid- 
well  at  Frankfort  first  on  the  13th  or  14th  of  October  last  in 
reference  to  some  American  bonds  which  he  had  ordered  wit- 
ness to  sell.  The  prisoner,  Austin  Bidwell,  gave  him  an  order 
to  buy  some  bonds  of  Mrs.  W.  Hall.  This  was  in  January. 
Witness  bought  some  American  six  per  cent,  bonds  for  Austin 
Bidwell  in  two  or  three  lots,  the  value  of  them  being  about 
$5,000  all  together.  There  were  two  or  three  transactions. 
The  prisoner  paid  for  them  in  Dutch  and  Frankfort  notes. 


FOUR  CLERKS.  3;[5 

At  that  time  he  did  not  know  the  prisoner,  Austin  Bidwell,  by 
any  name.     He  was  a  stranger  to  him. 

M.  Joseph  Antoine  Buchhein  said  he  was  a  clerk  in  the 
Frankfort  bank  up  to  the  first  of  July  last.  He  knew  the 
prisoner  Austin  Bidwell,  and  had  seen  him  at  the  bank.  That 
was  on  the  first  of  February  last.  The  prisoner  then  wished 
to  buy  two  bills  on  London.  Witness  showed  him  one  and 
drew  another  for  him  on  London.  He  asked  to  have  one  of 
the  bills  endorsed  to  Paine  <fc  Co.  of  London,  and  witness  so 
endorsed  it.  The  amount  of  it  was  X19  4s.  which  the  pris- 
oner paid  him.  Being  cross-examined,  witness  said  the  pris- 
oner Austin  Bidwell  was  a  stranger  to  him  previous  to  that 
occasion. 

Mr.  Isadore  Wolff,  a  clerk  to  Messrs.  Morepurgo  &  Weis- 
weiler  of  Frankfort  was  called,  and  recognized  Austin  Bidwell 
as  a  person  who  had  been  seen  in  their  office. 

[All  the  foregoing  evidence  in  relation  to  Austin  Bidwell's 
purchases  and  sales  of  bonds  on  the  Continent  in  January 
and  February,  must  be  cases  of  mistaken  identity ;  although 
I  do  not,  at  this  writing,  know  sufficient  regarding  his  move- 
ments, after  I  parted  with  him  at  Calais  on  January  18th,  to 
say  positively  —  but  it  is  my  belief  that  before  the  1st  of  Feb- 
ruary he  was  on  his  way  to  Cuba. —  G.  B.] 

Mr.  Frederick  Robert  Rumsey,  a  clerk  in  the  Western 
Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England,  proved  from  his  counter- 
book  that  on  the  29th  of  November  last,  he  paid  over  the 
counter  a  check  of  F.  A.  Warren  for  c£800  in  seven  £100 
notes,  and  two  for  X50  each.     That  was  in  one  check. 

Mr.  J.  A.  C.  Good,  also  a  clerk  in  the  Western  Branch  of 
the  Bank  of  England,  proved  that  on  the  2d  of  December  he 
paid  in  exchange  for  a  check  of  Warren  for  XI, 250,  twelve 
bank-notes  for  XI 00  each,  and  X50  in  gold. 

Mr.  John  Thomas  Stanton,  manager  of  the  Continental 
Bank,  79  Lombard  Street,  which  is  also  known  as  Messrs. 
Hartland  k  Co.,  said  he  knew  the  prisoners  Noyes  and  Austin 
Bidwell  —  the  latter  as  C.  J.  Horton.     On  the  2d  of  Decern- 


315  busijyess  at  tee  continental. 

ber  last  he  first  saw  Austin  Bidwell.  He  then  called  at  the 
bank  and  opened  an  account  with  them.  He  said  that  he 
had  previously  had  an  account  with  Messrs.  Bowles  Bros., 
and  that  he  had  been  fortunate  enough  to  have  drawn  from 
them  X 7,500  just  before  their  suspension.  Having  asked 
witness  what  interest  would  be  allowed,  it  was  arranged  that 
he  should  open  a  current  account  with  the  Continental  Bank. 
He  opened  that  account  in  the  name  of  Charles  Johnson 
Horton,  and  signed  the  signature-book  of  the  bank  in  that 
name,  giving  as  his  address  the  Charing  Cross  Hotel.  Wit- 
ness understood  that  he  was  an  American  gentleman.  The 
account  was  opened  bv  his  paying  in  «£  1,300  in  Bank  of  Eng- 
land notes,  and  he  filled  up  a  credit  slip  for  that  amount. 
Witness  produced  the  notes,  with  the  exception  of  £100 
which  was  changed  for  the  prisoner.  [These  were  the  notes 
referred  to  by  the  last  two  witnesses.]  That  was  the  first 
time  witness  had  seen  him.  Next  day  the  prisoner  called 
again  and  paid  in  ,£235  10s.,  in  two  checks  —  one  of  Messrs. 
Baring  for  £50,  and  the  other  for  £185  10s.  in  the  name  of 
F.  A.  Warren,  on  the  Bank  of  England.  Those  were  credited 
to  his  account.  On  the  5th  of  December  he  paid  in  a  check 
for  £95  2s.,  with  which  his  account  was  credited.  On  the 
same  day  a  check  was  drawn  out  by  him,  signed  "  C.  J.  Hor- 
ton." [Check  was  for  the  amount  of  £1,000.]  It  was  paid 
in  bank-notes.  On  the  27th  of  December  witness  cashed  a 
check  for  him  for  £100  by  £90  in  notes  and  £10  in  gold. 
On  the  30th  of  December  a  check  of  F.  A.  Warren  on  the 
Bank  of  England  for  £1,550  was  paid  in  and  credited  to  his 
account.  On  the  31st  of  December  there  was  standing  to  the 
credit  of  Horton's  account  £1,645  lis.  lid.  On  the  same 
day  he  paid  to  Horton  the  sum  of  £85  in  bank-notes  in  pay- 
ment of  a  check  of  his.  On  the  9th  of  January  £3,000  was 
paid  into  the  account  in  bank-notes,  the  credit-slip  accom- 
panying the  payment  being  initialed  "  C.  J.  H."  On  the  11th 
of  January  £500  was  paid  into  the  same  account  by  Horton, 
and  the  account  was  credited  with  the  amount.     On  the  same 


CHECKS  AND  CHECKS.  2>Vl 

day  X 3,933  2s.  lOcZ.  was  drawn  out  bj,  witness  presumed,  a 
check  of  Horton's,  for  which  they  gave  him  French  notes  for 
28,000  francs,  and  two  drafts  on  Paris  —  one  for  50,000  francs, 
and  the  other  for  22,000  francs  —  both  drawn  on  Messrs. 
Meyer  Fils.  On  the  16th  of  January  Xl,250  was  cashed  over 
the  counter  in  answer  to  a  check  of  Horton's.  On  the  11th  a 
new  check-book  was  supplied  to  Horton,  containing  forty-eight 
checks.  On  the  16th  of  January  <£75  was  drawn  out  by  a 
check  of  his.  On  the  18th  of  January  <£  3,304  16s.  9tZ.  was 
paid  into  the  account  in  two  checks  on  the  Western  Branch 
of  the  Bank  of  England  —  one  for  £1,600,  and  the  other  for 
<£  1,701  16s.  Of?.  It  was  not  stated  upon  whom  the  checks 
were  drawn.  On  the  21st  of  January  a  check  of  Horton's  for 
X  2,000  was  cashed,  in  ten  bank-notes  of  XI 00  each,  and  two 
of  X500  each.  That  was  an  open  check  paid  over  the  counter. 
On  the  same  day  a  check  of  Horton's  for  X80T  15s.  in  favor 
of  Messrs.  Jay  Cooke,  M'Culloch  &  Co.  was  paid.  On  the  22d 
of  January  a  sum  of  X 3,716  13s.  7cZ.,  in  two  checks  —  one  for 
X2,300,  and  the  other  for  Xl,416  13s.  Id. —  on  the  Western 
Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England,  was  paid  in.  On  the  same 
day  a  check  of  Horton's  for  X400  was  cashed  over  the  counter 
by  two  notes  of  X50  and  three  of  XIOO.  On  the  24th  of 
January  X  2.200  on  a  check  of  Horton's  was  paid,  and  later 
in  the  day  a  check  of  his  for  X45.  The  larger  sum  was  paid 
by  a  check  of  his  on  the  Union  Bank  of  London,  and  the 
smaller  check  in  bank-notes  —  one  of  X5,  and  two  of  X20. 

On  the  25th  of  January,  X  3,400  was  paid  in  by  a  check  of 
Warren's  on  the  Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  Ens^land 
for  that  amount.  Witness  knew  the  prisoner  Noyes.  He 
was  introduced  to  him  at  their  bank  by  Austin  Bidwell,  as  his 
clerk.  That  was  about  the  18th  of  January.  He  said  that 
Noyes  was  his  confidential  clerk  and  that  thej^  were  to  treat 
him  exactly  as  they  treated  himself.  Witness  asked  whether 
Noyes  was  to  be  allowed  to  sign  checks.  The  answer  was 
"  By  no  means,"  or  to  that  effect.  Witness  understood  that 
Horton  was  then  going  to  Birmingham.  He  did  not  think  he 
saw  Horton  after  that. 


318  LIVELY  BANKING. 

Witness  afterwards  did  business  with  Noyes  in  the  way  of 
cashing  checks  and  paying  in  money.  On  the  25th  of  Janu- 
ary or  the  day  after,  he  received  a  letter  from  Noyes,  saying 
he  was  to  hand  the  bearer  the  German  money  bought  for  him 
by  C.  J.  Horton  that  day.  Witness  believed  that  Horton  had 
bought  some  German  money  that  day  which  they  had  not 
previously  had  in  the  bank.  It  amounted  to  2,000  thalers 
odd,  and  was  given  to  the  bearer,  who  signed  a  receipt  for  it 
in  the  name  of  E.  Noyes.  Witness,  however,  sent  a  clerk  from 
the  bank  with  the  messenger  to  room  No.  6,  Terminus  Hotel, 
London  Bridge,  Horton's  address.  On  the  25th  of  January,  a 
check  of  Horton's  for  £1,000  was  paid  in  bank-notes,  five  of 
<£100,  and  the  rest  in  foreign  money,  florins  and  thalers, 
amounting  to  <£502  odd.  On  the  27th  of  January,  a  check  of 
Horton's  for  X451  15s.  was  paid  in  favor  of  Jay  Cooke  &  Co. 
Next  day  a  check  of  Horton's  for  £3,000  was  presented  and 
paid  over  the  counter  in  seventeen  £100  notes,  five  £50  notes, 
and  £1,049  17s.  9<i.  in  Dutch  coin.  On  the  3d  of  February, 
£1,000  was  paid  in  to  Horton's  account,  the  credit-slip  for 
for  which  was  signed  "  E.  Noyes,"  in  the  prisoner's  hand- 
writing. That  was  by  a  check  on  the  Western  Branch  of  the 
Bank  of  England.  On  February  4th,  £3,891 14s.  was  paid  in 
to  the  credit  of  Horton's  account  by  E.  Noyes.  It  consisted 
of  a  single  check  on  the  Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  Eng- 
land. On  the  same  day,  a  check  of  Horton's  for  £1,320  was 
paid  over  the  counter  in  six  £100  notes,  one  of  £50,  one  of 
£10,  one  of  £5,  and  £654  Is.  M.  in  Dutch  florins.  On  Feb- 
ruary 7th,  a  check  of  £3,500  of  Horton's  was  paid  over  the 
counter  in  notes,  six  of  £500  each,  and  five  of  £100  each.  On 
February  10th,  a  check  of  Horton's  for  £200  was  paid  over 
the  counter  in  notes.  On  February  13th,  £6,250  was  paid 
in  to  the  credit  of  Horton's  account  in  two  checks,  one  for 
£4,250,  and  the  other  for  £2,000,  on  the  Western  Branch  of 
the  Bank  of  England,  in  the  name  of  "  F.  A.  Warren"  the 
credit-slip  being  signed  "  E.  Noyes."  On  the  same  day  a 
check  of  Horton's  for  £Qb  was  paid  in  notes.     That  sum  wit- 


THE   ''BOOM''    CONTINUED.  3|9 

ness  declined  to  send  by  a  messenger  whom  Noyes  had 
despatched  for  it  with  a  letter  addressed  from  the  Terminus 
Hotel,  London  Bridge.  Noyes  afterwards  called  for  the 
money  himself,  and  requested  that,  in  the  future,  witness 
would  trust  the  messengers  he  sent.  On  February  14th,  wit- 
ness received  a  letter  from  Noyes,  containing  a  check  of  Hor- 
ton's  for  .£50,  which  witness  cashed  at  his  request,  and  sent 
by  the  bearer  to  room  6,  Terminus  Hotel,  London  Bridge. 
On  February  15th,  a  check  for  £332  10s.  was  paid  into  the 
credit  of  Horton's  account.  On  the  same  day,  he  paid  a  check 
of  Horton's  for  £4,000  in  fourteen  bank-notes,  two  of  £1,000, 
two  of  £500,  and  ten  of  £100.  On  February  17th,  £1,200 
was  paid  in  to  the  credit  of  Horton's  account,  in  a  check  of 
"  F.  A.  Warren  "  on  the  Bank  of  England.  On  the  same  day, 
he  cashed  a  check  of  Horton's  for  £2,800  in  bank-notes,  one 
for  £1,000,  two  for  £500,  one  for  £200,  five  for  £100,  and 
two  for  £50.  On  the  20th,  he  paid  a  check  of  Horton's  for 
£1,000  in  one  note,  and  that  was  enclosed  in  a  letter,  at  the 
request  of  Noyes,  addressed  to  Horton  at  the  Cannon  Street 
Hotel,  and  sent  by  a  messenger.  On  February  21st,  a  check 
of  Warren's  for  £4,500  was  paid  in  to  Horton's  credit,  the 
slip  for  which  was  in  Noyes'  handwriting.  On  February 
25th,  £4,500  was  paid  partly  in  bank-notes  on  a  check  of 
Horton's  made  payable  to  himself,  viz. :  four  notes  of 
£1,000  each,  one  of  £100,  being,  said  Mr.  Poland,  one  of  a 
batch  contained  in  the  envelope  produced  yesterday  by  the 
witness,  Mr.  Duncan.  On  February  26th,  £2,277  10s.  was 
paid  in  to  the  credit  of  Horton's  account,  credit-slip  for  which 
was  signed  by  Noyes  —  in  two  checks,  one  being  a  check  of 
Warren's  for  £2,100,  and  the  other  a  check  of  Jay  Cooke, 
M'Culloch  &  Co.'s  for  £177  10s.  On  the  27th  of  February 
a  check  of  Horton's  for  £100  payable  to  "  self  or  order  "  was 
sent,  as  directed  in  a  letter  from  Noyes,  to  C.  J.  Horton, 
Room  8,  Cannon  Street  Hotel.  Next  day  a  check  of  War- 
ren's for  £6,000  was  paid  in  by  Noyes  and  was  payable  to 
Thomas  Carter  or  order.     On  that  occasion  Noyes  ordered  a 


320  ^^-  ^-^^  BLOCKS   TEE    GAME. 

very  large  sum  of  foreign  money  to  be  got  ready  for  him  by 
the  next  day,  principally  in  French  notes  and  the  rest  in 
thaler  notes.  Witness  believed  the  amount  of  foreign  money 
he  ordered  was  larger  than  X  2,000.  On  the  same  occasion, 
Noyes  received  cash  for  a  check  of  Horton's  dated  the  28th  of 
February,  for  c£  2,000  in  two  bank  notes  of  £1,000  each.  On 
March  1st,  Noyes  called  again,  and  produced  a  credit-slip 
signed  by  himself  for  X  2,500,  handing  in  at  the  same  time  a 
check  of  Warren's  for  X  2,500  on  the  Bank  of  England  pay- 
able to  C.J.  Horton.  By  that  time  witness  had  got  a  por- 
tion of  foreign  money  foi*  him,  but  it  was  arranged  that  he 
should  call  for  it  again  later  in  the  day.  He  called  again  a 
little  before  one  and  then  produced  for  payment  a  check  of 
Horton's  payable  to  self  or  order  for  X5,000.  He  had  to  wait 
a  short  time  while  the  check  was  being  collected.  Mr.  May, 
a  gentleman  connected  with  the  Bank  of  England,  came  into 
the  bank  while  Noyes  was  waiting.  Upon  that  witness 
pointed  him  out  to  Mr.  May,  who  had  brought  in  a  policeman 
with  him,  into  whose  custody  Noyes  was  then  given.  Wit- 
ness had  not  at  that  time  paid  the  X  5,000  check  presented  by 
Noyes. 

The  witness  underwent  cross-examination  by  Mr.  Mcln- 
tyre,  Q.  C,  and  Mr.  Ribton,  but  without  his  evidence  in  chief 
in  any  material  respect  being  impaired.  He  said,  however, 
on  every  occasion  for  a  considerable  time,  he  dealt  with 
Noyes,  believing  him  to  be  Horton's  clerk,  but  after  Horton 
said  he  (Noyes)  was  to  be  treated  with  as  much  respect  as 
himself,  witness  thought  Noyes  was  to  be  treated  as  somewhat 
of  a  principal.  Horton,  however,  gave  witness  emphatically  to 
understand  that  Noyes  was  not  to  sign  checks. 

Mr.  Edward  Brent,  a  clerk  in  the  issue  department  of  the 
Bank  of  England,  said  he  knew  the  prisoner  Noyes  as  a 
person  who  used  to  come  from  time  to  time  to  the  bank  to 
exchange  notes  into  gold.  On  every  occasion  he  asked  the 
prisoner  whether  the  gold  was  for  home  use  or  for  exporta- 
tion, and  in  most  cases  Noyes  said  it  was  for  home  use ;  in 


AN  ESTIMATE. 


321 


the  other  cases,  at  a  later  period,  he  said  it  was  for  Paris. 
He  gave  as  his  address  28  Manchester  Square,  Durant's 
Hotel.  The  total  value  of  the  notes  he  so  exchanged  was 
^13,285. 

Mr.  Frederick  Pearse,  a  clerk  in  the  issue  department  of 
the  Bank  of  England,  handed  in  an  estimate  of  the  quantity  of 
notes  which  had  been  exchanged  for  gold  at  the  bank. 


WEIGHING    OFFICE,    BANK    OF    ENGLAND. 


Mr.  H.  W.  Hughes,  a  clerk  in  the  weighing-room  of  the 
Bank  of  England,  said  he  knew  the  prisoner,  McDonald.  On 
the  18th  of  January  he  saw  that  prisoner  talking  to  the  prin- 
cipal of  the  weighing  department.  The  prisoner  had  brought 
.£6,300  in  gold  which  he  wanted  to  exchange  into  notes. 
21 


322  "  sovereigns:' 

Witness  found  there  were  twenty-three  sovereigns  too  many, 
and  he  told  him  so.  He  replied  that  he  was  not  aware  of  it. 
The  prisoner  gave  his  name  as  George  McDonald  and  told 
him  how  to  spell  it,  saying  he  had  great  difficulty  in  getting 
people  to  spell  it  correctly.  On  February  23d,  the  prisoner 
called  again  to  exchange  £650  in  gold  for  notes.  Witness 
took  him  to  the  proper  department  to  have  exchange  effected. 
On  another  occasion  he  brought  £9,000  sovereigns  of  which 
fifteen  were  light  and  those  very  slightly  so.  [See  my  remarks 
in  Chapter  XXXIII  about  exchanging  those  sovereigns.  —  0. 
B.]  On  February  25th,  he  came  again  bringing  1,000  sov- 
ereigns. On  that  occasion  the  prisoner  was  kept  waiting 
somewhat  longer  than  usual,  and  was  very  fidgety.  He  rang 
the  bell  once  or  twice  and  wanted  to  know  the  reason  of  the 
detention.  He  had  been  detained  half  or  three-quarters  of  an 
hour. 

Mr.  Joseph  Reese  Adams,  principal  of  the  issue  depart- 
ment, said  he  recognized  the  prisoner,  McDonald.  He  saw 
him  on  the  28th  of  January  at  the  bank  and  asked  him  where 
he  got  the  gold.  The  reply  was  either  that  it  came  from  Lis- 
bon, or  that  he  brought  it  from  Lisbon.  Being  asked  if  he 
got  the  gold  from  Knowles  &  Foster,  of  Lisbon,  to  whom  the 
bank  shipped  largely,  he  said  he  did  not.  The  weight  of 
sovereigns  was  twenty-one  pounds  troy-weight  to  the  1,000.   - 

At  this  point,  the  court  having  sat  nearly  seven  hours,  the 
case  was  adjourned  until  the  following  day  at  ten  o'clock. 
The  jury,  as  before,  were  conveyed  in  charge  of  the  ushers  of 
the  court  to  the  Terminus  Hotel,  Cannon  Street. 


® 


Chapter  XXXL 


THE  TRIAL  CONTINUED  —  FOURTH  DAY,  THURSDAY,  AUGUST  21ST  —  DUTCH  BANK- 
ERS WHO  WOULD  NOT  BE  "  BEAT  "  TESTIFY  —  A  HEBREW  BROKER  OF  AM- 
STERDAM ON  THE  STAND  —  OPERATIONS  IN  GERMAN  BILLS  OF  EXCHANGE  — 
ACCIDENT  ON  THE  NORTHERN  RAILWAY  OF  FRANCE  —  INTERVIEW  BETWEEN 
BARON  ALFONSE  DE  ROTHSCHILD  AND  AUSTIN  BIDWELL  IN  PARIS  —  A  £4,500 
BILL  —  HEAVY   TRANSACTIONS  IN  UNITED   STATES    BONDS   ON    THE   CONTINENT. 


UPON  the  opening  of  the  Court  at  10  a.  m.,  it  was 
crowded  as  usual  with  ladies  and  gentlemen,  including 
many  members  of  the  nobility.  Greater  interest  than  ever,  if 
possible,  was  evinced,  and  amidst  expressions  of  sympathy  for 
the  prisoners,  it  was  a  subject  of  general  remark  that  such 
men  could  have  made  their  way  to  the  top  round  of  the  social 
and  business  ladder  had  their  abilities  been  used  in  a  proper 
manner. 

Mr.  Simon  Louis  Pinto,  examined  by  Mr.  Watkin  Wil- 
liams, Q.  C,  said  he  was  a  bill  broker  at  Amsterdam.  He 
now  recognized  the  prisoner,  George  Bid  well,  by  the  name  of 
H.  E.  Gilbert.  He  knew  some  gentlemen  named  Citroen  & 
Zonen,  gold  workers  at  Amsterdam.  Early  in  1872  [It  was 
in  October.  —  G.  B.]  he  learned  that  a  stranger  would  proba- 
bly call  upon  him.  Gilbert,  otherwise  George  Bid  well,  called 
on  him  with  a  commissioner  from  the  hotel.  He  said  he  had 
brought  some  bills  from  Frankfort  and  wished  to  discount 
them.  Witness  declined  to  discount  them.  The  prisoner 
then  inquired  whether  he  could  obtain  in  Amsterdam  any  long 
bills  on  Germany.  Witness  said  that  it  was  very  difficult  to 
do  that,  such  bills  being  very  dear  there.  He  told  him  there 
had  been  some  bills  on  Hamburg  the  day  before,  and  possibly 
he  might  obtain  them.     The  conversation  was  in  broken  Eng- 

(323) 


324  ^^  ''MARKS  BANCO." 

lish  and  German  —  witness's  son  assisting  to  interpret  it.  He 
asked  witness  to  buy  some  of  the  bills  on  Hamburg  for  him, 
to  the  amount  of  about  20,000  guilders,  and  only  to  buy  them 
from  good  houses  —  bankers.  The  prisoner  said  he  was  con- 
nected with  railway  works.  Witness  bought  some  bills  for 
him,  for  which  the  prisoner  paid  him  in  Dutch  bank-notes. 
He  then  gave  witness  a  further  order  to  buy  othei^  bills  to  the 
same  or  a  larger  amount  in  "  marks  banco."  A  day  or  two 
after  he  bought  the  bills  the  currency  [meaning  the  rate  of 
exchange]  on  Hamburg  was  changed,  and  Bid  well  called  and 
ordered  him  to  sell  the  bills,  saying  he  had  made  a  mistake 
and  wished  to  get  rid  of  them.  He  added  he  would  put  up 
with  the  loss.  Witness  found  the  loss  would  be  so  great  that 
he  declined  to  re-sell  them  without  further  orders.  The  pris- 
oner said  he  had  made  such  large  profits  in  Hamburg  by  bill 
transactions  that  he  could  well  afford  to  stand  the  loss,  and 
that  he  intended  to  buy  something  else  by  which  he  could 
recoup  himself.  The  loss  was  about  £50  sterling.  Witness 
sold  them  for  him,  upon  which  the  prisoner  gave  him  another 
order  to  buy  with  the  moneys  some  fresh  bills  on  London,  and 
wrote  the  particulars  upon  paper.  £3,000  was  to  be  by  a  bill 
on  London  at  three  months,  and  .£1,000  by  a  bill  payable  at 
sight.  The  prisoner  left  after  giving  the  order.  Witness 
bought  five  bills  for  him,  one  being  a  bill  for  £1,000  on  Allard 
&  Co.,  another  by  Philip  Sohne  on  the  Bank  of  Belgium  and 
Holland  for  £1,000,  two  acceptances  by  Messrs.  Suse  &  Sibeth 
for  £500  each,  and  a  bill  of  the  Bank  of  Amsterdam  on  the 
Bank  of  Belgium  and  Holland,  London,  for  £1,000.  Witness 
delivered  those  bills  to  George  Bidwell,  and  there  was  a  bal- 
ance to  pay,  which  Bidwell  handed  him  in  Dutch  bank-notes. 
He  saw  Bidwell  from  four  to  six  times.  He  afterwards,  on 
the  2d  of  November,  received  a  letter  from  him  before  he 
left  Amsterdam.  The  letter,  which  was  without  date  and 
signed  H.  E.  Gilbert,  was  to  the  effect  that  he  would  not  buy 
more  before  the  next  day,  and  meanwhile  witness  might  sell 
two  bills  which  he  enclosed  if  he  could  do  so  with  ease.     Wit- 


MR.  PINTO'S  PURCHASES.  325 

ness  afterwards  received  other  letters  from  him  from  London, 
one  dated  20th  of  November,  and  containing  860  guilders  in 
Dutch  bank-notes.  In  consequence  of  instructions  in  that 
letter  witness  made  a  purchase  for  him,  and  the  prisoner 
replied  expressing  himself  satisfied  with  the  transaction.  He 
received  a  subsequent  letter,  dated  the  30th  of  November, 
from  the  prisoner,  George  Bidwell,  enclosing  2,105  guilders, 
and  directing  him  to  make  a  further  purchase  for  him  in  a 
bill  on  Blydenstein  &  Co.,  which  witness  did.  On  the  3d  of 
January  witness  received  a  letter  from  him  dated  the  3d,  en- 
closing 1,490  florins,  for  which  he  was  to  send  him  a  three 
months  bill  on  the  Amsterdam  Bank.  Witness  made  the 
purchase  for  him,  sent  it  by  post,  and  received  an  acknowl- 
edgment by  return.  On  the  25th  of  January  he  received 
another  letter  from  the  prisoner  enclosing  6,000  guilders,  and 
directing  him  to  make  another  purchase  for  him.  With  that 
witness  bought  for  him  a  bill  on  Messrs.  Barings  for  £500, 
drawn  by  A.  Guerstin  on  the  Anglo-Austrian  Bank,  at  three 
months  date,  and  endorsed  by  witness.  Witness  procured  the 
bill,  and  enclosed  it  to  him,  with  a  small  bill  for  £4  10^^., 
drawn  by  Messrs.  Samuel  Montagu  &  Co.,  on  London.  Wit- 
ness afterward  received  from  him  650  florins,  with  which  he 
was  directed  to  purchase  another  bill.  Witness  replied  that 
he  would  not  do  business  with  so  small  an  amount,  upon  which 
Gilbert  wrote  to  him  on  the  13th  of  February,  enclosing  410 
florins  more.  Witness  replied  to  him  in  effect  that  with  even 
the  two  sums  together  of  650  and  410  florins  he  could  not 
purchase  a  three  months'  bill.  The  witness  afterwards  sent 
him  in  a  letter  a  bill  for  £87  10s.,  and  had  not  since  heard 
from  him. 

Being  cross-examined  by  Mr.  Powell,  the  witness  said  that 
he  first  communicated  with  the  authorities  for  the  prosecution 
on  the  subject  about  three  months  ago,  through  Mr.  Phillips, 
an  advocate,  who  wrote  down  what  he  had  to  say  about  it. 
He  came  to  England  last  Friday.  Besides  the  name  of 
Blydenstein,  witness  said  he  suggested  to  the  prisoner  the 


326  ^OT  McDonald. 

Amsterdam  Bank,  and  probably  others.  He  now  gave  the 
dates  of  his  interviews  wit,h  him  in  Amsterdam,  and  said  his 
transactions  with  him  were  all  of  an  ordinary  kind,  and  such 
as  he  might  have  conducted  as  a  broker  with  other  persons. 

Mr.  Johann  de  Wael,  a  banker  at  Rotterdam,  in  partner- 
ship with  his  father,  deposed  that  he  knew  the  prisoner, 
McDonald,  and  saw  him  first  on  the  15th  of  November  last,  at 
his  office  in  Rotterdam.  [Another  false  identification.  It 
was  I,  not  McDonald.  —  G.  B.]  He  asked  if  witness  could 
purchase  for  him  one  or  more  bills  on  the  London  and  West- 
minster Bank  for  about  .£600.  Witness  told  him  they  would 
be  difficult  to  be  had,  but  he  would  try  to  get  them  for  him. 
The  prisoner  produced  7,435  guilders,  which  was  equivalent 
to  about  X623  3s.  He  gave  witness  an  address  at  a  hotel  in 
London,  to  which  to  send  the  bills  if  he  got  them.  Witness 
gave  him  a  draft  on  London,  on  Messrs.  Blydenstein,  for 
£617  13s.,  and  told  him  to  call  on  them.  He  purchased  for 
the  prisoner  a  bill  on  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank 
for  <£300,  drawn  by  P.  S.  Lucardie  &  Sons ;  and  another  for 
£300,  of  Collins  &  Maingay,  drawn  upon  J.  C.  Gillman.  The 
prisoner,  McDonald,  instructed  witness  that  the  bills  were  to 
be  drawn  to  the  order  of  F.  A.  Warren.  The  bills  were  sent 
in  a  registered  letter  to  Warren,  at  the  address  he  gave ;  and 
witness  had  an  answer  from  him,  acknowledging  their  receipt 
and  enclosing  witness's  card  which  he  had  previously  given 
to  McDonald.  He  afterwards  purchased  for  him  a  bill  for 
£158  13s.  and  5tZ.,  by  Lucardie  &  Sons,  on  the  London  and 
Westminster  Bank,  and  enclosed  it  in  a  letter  addressed  to 
one  W.  J.  Spaulding,  care  of  Messrs.  Clews,  Habicht  &  Co., 
London.  He  had  not  asked  for  an  acknowleds^ment,  and  did 
not  receive  one.  Being  cross-examined  by  Mr.  Metcalf,  wit- 
ness said  a  Mr.  Phillips  called  upon  him  about  the  evidence 
he  was  able  to  give,  and  showed  him  two  photographs.  He 
afterwards  saw  all  the  four  prisoners  at  the  Mansion  House, 
including  McDonald.  That  was  after  he  had  seen  the  photo- 
graphs.    He  could  not  recollect  exactly,  when  at  the  Mansion 


LIVERPOOL   HEARD  FROM.  397 

House,  which  of  the  three  prisoners,  Austin  Bidwell,  George 
McDonald,  and  George  Bidwell,  was  the  man  who  dealt  with 
him,  but  it  was  one  of  the  three.  He  was  now  sure  that 
McDonald  was  the  man.  [McDonald  was  not  the  man  —  it 
was  L— G.  B.] 

Mr.  Matthias  Harttman,  agent  at  Hamburg  to  Messrs. 
Behrenberg,  Gossler  &  Co.,  proved  that  on  the  2d  of  Decem- 
ber he  received  a  letter  signed  W.  J.  Spaulding,  containing 
1,400  thaler  bank-notes,  on  the  receipt  of  which  he  sent  Mr. 
Spaulding,  at  Clews,  Habicht  &  Co.'s,  two  bills,  amounting 
together  to  20,000  guilders. 

Mr.  Edward  Wilson  Yates,  merchant  and  banker  at  Liver- 
pool, said  he  knew  the  prisoner,  McDonald,  and  saw  him  on 
the  6th  of  December,  1872,  in  his  own  private  room.  He 
said  he  had  two  or  three  thousand  pounds  to  invest,  and 
would  like  to  have  one  or  two  banker's  bills  to  that  amount, 
adding  that  he  wanted  first-class  paper.  Witness  showed 
him  some,  and  he  selected  one  of  Messrs.  Brown,  Shipley  & 
Co.  for  X  1,000,  which  he  said  he  would  take.  He  took  it, 
and  paid  for  it  in  Bank  of  England  notes. 

By  Mr.  Metcalf.  He  saw  the  prisoner  afterwards  in  the 
dock  of  the  Mansion  House.  That  was  after  he  had  seen 
four  photographs  at  Liverpool.  He  picked  out  McDonald 
immediately  on  seeing  him  at  the  Mansion  House. 

Mr.  William  Anderson,  clerk  to  Messrs.  Richardson,  Spence 
&  Co.,  Water  Street,  Liverpool,  American  merchants,  said  he 
knew  the  prisoner  McDonald.  He  saw  him  first  at  their 
office  in  Liverpool,  about  the  beginning  of  December.  He 
called  to  know  if  they  had  any  first-class  bills  to  sell.  Being 
asked  for  what  purpose  he  wanted  them,  he  said  he  had 
received  a  large  sum  of  money  in  England,  and  wished  to 
make  temporary  use  of  it.  The  answer  was  that  they  had  no 
bills  to  sell.  Being  asked  by  witness  why  he  came  there,  he 
said  he  had  seen  their  names  on  letters  of  credit,  as  they  were 
agents  for  many  American  houses.  Witness  said  he  would 
be  more  likely  to  get  in  London  what  he  wanted  than  in 


328  ^  ROTHSCHILD'S  SYMPATHY. 

Liverpool.  The  prisoner  asked  if  witness  knew  where  he 
could  apply,  and  witness  suggested  to  him  to  apply  at  Messrs. 
Samuels's  (now  Messrs.  Yates's)  Bank,  and  sent  Mr.  Coup- 
land,  a  clerk  in  the  bank,  to  show  him  their  establishment. 

By  Mr.  Metcalf,  in  cross-examination.  Witness  afterwards 
saw  McDonald  in  the  dock  at  the  Mansion  House.  He  had 
previously  seen  at  Liverpool  photographs  of  the  four  alleged 
bank  forgers.  He  said  in  the  presence  of  Coupland,  McDon- 
ald was  the  man.     Coupland  had  not  then  given  his  evidence. 

By  Mr.  Giffard.  He  had  no  doubt  that  McDonald  was 
the  man.  Mr.  Edward  Coupland,  a  clerk  to  Messrs.  Richard- 
son, Spence  &  Co.,  bankers,  Liverpool,  spoke  to  McDonald 
being  the  man  he  had  shown  to  Messrs.  Samuels's  bank  in 
that  city  in  December  last. 

Mr.  Ernest  Chas.  de  Lorelli,  a  clerk  in  the  English  office 
of  Messrs.  Rothschild  in  Paris,  recognized  the  prisoner, 
Austin  Bidwell,  as  having  seen  him  on  the  14th  of  January 
last,  at  their  office  there,  in  the  name  of  Warren.  He  went 
up  to  Mr.  Gatliif,  the  head  officer  of  the  bank,  and  asked  for 
a  bill  at  three  months  on  London,  for  X4,500.  Mr.  Gatliff 
declined,  as  being  contrary  to  their  custom.  The  prisoner 
said  he  had  been  in  an  accident  on  the  Northern  Railway 
near  Calais,  and  left  shortly  afterwards.  He  then  had  pieces 
of  plaster  on  his  forehead,  and  looked  very  unAvell.  About 
two  hours  afterwards  he  returned,  upon  which  Mr.  Gatliff 
had  some  conversation  with  Baron  Alphonse  de  Rothschild, 
who  came  in  and  spoke  to  the  prisoner,  who  again  gave  an 
account  of  the  accident  and  said  he  had  been  much  shaken. 
Baron  Alphonse  was  a  director  of  the  Northern  Railway  of 
France.  The  Baron  said  he  was  sorry  for  him,  and  would  do 
what  he  wanted  in  reference  to  the  bill.  The  bill  for  £4,500 
produced  was  then  prepared,  and  in  the  first  instance  the 
prisoner  handed  in  99,000  francs  in  Bank  of  France  notes, 
which  was  not  quite  enough  to  pay  for  the  bill.  The  value  of 
the  bill  was  113,000  francs,  and  they  sent  the  clerk  to  the 
prisoner's  hotel,  upon  which  he  paid  the  balance  and  received 
the  bill. 


A   BILL    OF  SAPUNZZI   ON  KORONAKT.  329 

Mr.  Giffard  explained  to  the  court  that  this  was  a  genuine 
acceptance  of  Messrs.  Rothschild,  which  the  prisoner,  Austin 
Bidwell,  afterwards  paid  in  to  Col.  Francis,  the  manager  of 
the  Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England. 

Mr.  Frederick  Heinreich,  another  clerk  to  Messrs.  Roths- 
child at  Paris,  was  called  to  prove  that,  acting  on  instructions, 
he  took  the  bill  in  question,  for  £4,500,  to  the  Grand  Hotel 
there,  and  handed  it  over  to  the  prisoner,  Austin  Bidwell. 
He  had  previously  seen  him  at  the  bank. 

Mr.  E.  Lewis  Osgood,  clerk  to  Messrs.  Drexel,  Haries  & 
Co.,  Paris,  spoke  to  having  seen  McDonald  on  the  29th  of 
January,  when  that  prisoner  applied  to  them  for  a  letter  of 
credit,  and  deposited  50,000  francs.  Witness  was  instructed 
to  prepare  a  check  for  £1,000  to  the  order  of  McDonald.  He 
drew  the  check  and  took  it  to  Mr.  Haries's  room  for  signa- 
ture. Mr.  Haries  then  said  Mr.  McDonald  preferred  a  bill  of 
exchange  to  a  check,  and  a  bill  of  exchange  for  £1,000, 
drawn  by  Messrs.  Simpson  &  Co.  on  Messrs.  Baring  to  the 
order  of  Messrs.  Freres,  Bruderer  &  Co.,  was  substituted  for 
the  check.  McDonald  paid  them  for  the  bill  after  that,  and 
still  some  money  remained  to  his  credit. 

Mr.  Olivier  Bixio,  joint  manager  of  the  general  American 
Agency  Co.,  in  Paris,  identified  McDonald  and  Austin  Bid- 
well.  He  saw  both  of  them  on  the  29th  of  January  in  Paris. 
Austin  Bidwell  called  there  to  fetch  some  American  bonds 
which  he  had  left  on  the  previous  day,  and  which  he  had 
offered  for  sale  to  them.  They  declined  buying  them,  and 
they  were  returned  to  him.  Austin  Bidwell  then  proposed 
buying  a  draft  on  London  for  £1,000  at  three  months.  Wit- 
ness went  to  the  bourse  the  same  day  and  purchased  for  him 
a  bill  for  £1,000  which  was  afterwards  handed  to  him  on  his 
paying  the  price  of  it.  It  was  a  bill  of  Sapunzzi,  of  Constan- 
tinople, on  Koronaki  of  Trieste. 

Mr.  William  Butler  Duncan,  of  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Dun- 
can, Sherman  &  Co.,  merchants  and  bankers  of  New  York, 
produced  a  letter  addressed  to  George  McDonald,  care  of  his 


330 


SEIZURE    OF  A   LETTER. 


firm,  which  was  seized  and  opened  by  the  sheriff  of  New  York. 
It  contained  three  Bank  of  England  notes,  one  for  <£5,  and 
two  for  £100  each.  He  also  produced  thirteen  bills  of 
exchange  for  £4,000  in  all  which  had  been  sent  to  his  firm 
for  collection,  among  them  being  one  for  .£1,000  dated  Bahia, 
Dec.  4,  1872,  payable  at  ninety  days  sight  at  Messrs.  Barings, 
drawn  by  Simpson,  to  the  order  of  Messrs.  Freres  &  Bruderer, 
and  indorsed  by  them,  Drexel,  Haries  &  Co.,  and  by  the  latter 
to  George  McDonald. 

At  this  stage,  it  being  five  o'clock,  the  case  was  adjourned 
until  next  day. 


Chapter  XXXI  I. 


THE  TRIAL  CONTINUED  —  FIFTH  DAY,  FRIDAY,  AUGUST  22d  —  A  WAITER  AND 
"  CABBIES  "  TESTIFY  —  *'  QUITE  LIGHT  EVEN  IN  BIRMINGHAM  "  — A  LADY  HOTEL- 
MANAGER'S  testimony  — MUCH  CORRESPONDENCE  — A  MYSTERIOUS  BOX  —  $220,- 
000,  LIKE  FALSTAFF,  HIDDEN  AMONG  "  SOILED  LINEN  "  —  MR.  DA  COSTA  OF  NEW 
YORK,  DETAILS  "  THE  RAPE  OF  THE  LOCK" — ANOTHER  HOTEL  WAITER  SPEAKS  — 
THE  SHERIFF  TAKES  THE  JURY  FOR  AN  AIRING  IN  A  COACH-AND-FOUR. 

THE  trial  begun  on  Monday  was  continued,  and  as  before 
excited  much  interest  and  the  court  was  crowded  dur- 
ing the  investigation. 

Josiah  Winspear  was  the  first  witness  called.     He  said  he 
was  a  waiter  at  the  Queen's  Hotel,  Birmingham,  and  knew 


accountants'    bank     note    office,    bank    of    ENGLAND. 

the  prisoner,  George  Bidwell.  He  had  seen  him  twice  there, 
the  last  time  being  about  the  middle  of  February.  He  occu- 
pied a  private  room  in  the  hotel.     On  the  second  visit  witness 

(331) 


332  ^   REGISTERED  LETTER. 

found  the  door  locked  on  one  occasion.  Being  cross-examined 
the  witness  said  there  was  sometimes  nearly  a  hundred  guests 
at  the  hotel.  He  had  not  noticed  anything  peculiar  in  the 
manner  of  the  prisoner  George  Bidwell  while  there.  The  pris- 
oner wore  a  light  overcoat  and  carried  a  satchel.  He  had  the 
appearance  of  a  foreigner.  The  next  time  he  saw  him  he 
was  in  the  dock  at  the  Mansion  House. 

Alfred  Morley,  a  cab  proprietor  and  driver,  Birmingham, 
said  he  recognized  the  prisoner,  George  Bidwell.  He  saw 
him  on  or  about  the  20th  of  February  when  he  drove  him  in 
his  cab  from  the  Queen's  Hotel,  Birmingham,  to  the  post- 
office.  There  he  gave  witness  the  address  of  a  letter  which  he 
was  to  inquire  about,  and  a  florin  to  buy  a  shilling  stamp. 
There  was  one  letter  waiting  for  him  at  the  post-office,  which 
he  gave  to  the  prisoner  and  he  then  drove  him  back  to  the 
Queen's  Hotel.  Witness  noticed  that  he  spoke  with  a  foreign 
accent,  and  took  him  to  be  a  "  Yankee."  About  two  hours 
afterwards  witness  saw  him  get  out  of  a  cab  driven  by  a  man 
named  Barker,  and  witness  spoke  to  Barker  afterwards  about 
the  circumstances.  He  saw  the  prisoner  come  out  of  the 
hotel  on  the  occasion  in  question. 

John  Barker,  another  Birmingham  cab  driver,  deposed  on 
or  about  the  20th  of  February  he  drove  the  prisoner  George 
Bidwell,  in  his  cab,  and  saw  the  prisoner  Noyes.  He  drove 
George  Bidwell  from  the  Queen's  Hotel  to  the  post-office. 
There  the  prisoner  told  witness  to  get  off  his  box,  Avhich  he 
did.  He  gave  witness  a  large  letter  and  told  him  to  register 
it.  The  letter  was  stamped  and  he  said  if  there  was  anything 
more  to  pay  for  it  he  was  to  pay  it.  Witness  registered  the 
letter  and  brought  out  the  receipt  to  him.  Prisoner  folded 
it  up,  and  tore  it  into  very  small  pieces.  Nothing  extra  had 
to  be  paid  for  the  postage.  Witness  then  drove  him  back  to 
the  Queen's  Hotel  where  he  got  out.  He  did  not  pay  witness 
but  said  he  would  send  his  fare  out.  He  joined  the  prisoner 
Noyes  opposite  the  railway  station.  They  talked  together  a 
few  minutes,  and  then  Bidwell  went  into  the  hotel  and  Noyes 


DOUBTFUL  RECOGNITION.  333 

to  the  railway  station.  Presently  afterwards  the  "boots" 
brought  out  the  fare  and  gave  it  to  the  witness. 

Cross-examined  by  Mr,  Powell.  That  was  about  twenty 
minutes  to  four  o'clock,  and  it  was  quite  light  even  in  Birming- 
ham. (Laughter.)  The  next  time  he  saw  George  Bidwell 
and  Noyes  was  at  the  Mansion  House.  He  and  the  wit- 
ness Morley  were  together  on  that  occasion.  Witness  went 
into  the  court  to  see  if  he  could  identify  any  one.  He 
heard  Morley  give  part  of  his  evidence  there.  They  after- 
wards traveled  together  in  the  same  carriage  to  Birmingham. 
Witness  had  not  then  given  his  evidence.  He  had  been  shown 
a  sketch,  not  a  photograph,  by  a  gentleman  from  London 
about  three  weeks  before  he  went  to  the  Mansion  House. 
That  might  have  been  a  detective  officer,  but  he  did  not  know 
that  he  was.  The  prisoner  Bidwell  tore  the  receipt  up  while 
in  the  cab  and  threw  the  pieces  out  into  the  street.  Witness 
never  saw  him  again  until  he  saw  him  at  the  Mansion  House. 

By  Mr.  Hollings.  The  Queen's  Hotel,  Birmingham,  is 
under  the  same  roof  as  the  station.  Noyes  joined  Bidwell  in 
the  yard  when  Bidwell  returned  from  the  post-office.  That 
was  the  first  time  the  witness  had  seen  Noyes,  and  he  then 
saw  him  for  about  two  minutes.  He  indentified  Noyes  at  the 
Mansion  House  before  George  Bidwell  was  in  custody. 

By  Mr.  Powell.     The  letter  registered  was  for  America. 

[In  the  previous  chapter  I  remarked  that  "  detectives 
were  adepts  in  getting  up  "  certain  kinds  of  evidence.  The 
witnesses  Winspear,  Morley,  and  Barker,  are  good  illustra- 
tions of  that  remark.  When  they  saw  me  in  Birmingham, 
I  was  clean  shaven,  save  a  pointed  mustache,  a  la  Napoleon, 
and  had  they  not  been  manipulated  by  the  detectives  and  had 
me  pointed  out  as  the  man  they  had  come  to  identify,  they 
never  could  have  recognized  me,  in  two  or  three  months 
after  a  casual  meeting ;  because  when  they  saw  me  in  the 
dock  my  face  was  covered  with  a  thick,  black,  uniform, 
month's  growth,  of  stubby  beard.  In  me  a  change  from  a 
mustache  to  a  full  beard  effects  such  a  transformation  that 


334  ^^^^   KATE  MARY  ENGLISH,  MANAGER. 

only  friends,  or  those  who  have  seen  me  often  could  recognize 
me.  To  show  the  nature  of  what  he  really  knew,  the  letter 
Barker  mailed  was  to  the  Bank  of  England  and  not  to  Amer- 
ica—  the  detective  had  overlooked  "refreshing"  his  mem- 
ory on  that  point. —  G.  B.] 

Miss  Kate  Mary  English,  manager  of  Nelson's  Portland 
Hotel  since  August  last,  said  she  knew  all  the  prisoners  and 
had  seen  them  at  the  hotel.  On  the  26th  of  August  last, 
George  Bidwell  came  there  and  took  a  room,  staying  a  week. 
During  that  week  she  saw  the  prisoners,  Austin  Bidwell  and 
McDonald.  They  came  in  those  names.  George  Bidwell  said 
his  brother  Austin  was  staying  at  a  larger  hotel,  and  that  on 
a  previous  occasion  he  had  stayed  at  the  Langham,  and  had 
come  from  a  journey  in  Ireland  and  was  going  to  Eastbourne. 
He  left  on  the  29th  and  returned  on  the  1st  of  September. 
He  remained  at  the  hotel  two  days,  and  then  left  saying  he 
was  going  abroad,  and  he  gave  her  directions  about  his  letters, 
and  those  of  his  brother  and  McDonald.  On  going  to  the 
Continent  he  left  a  letter  for  "  Mr.  Hills,"  directing  witness 
to  give  it  to  him.  While  he  was  away  letters  arrived.  After 
he  had  gone  she  received  a  letter  from  George  Bidwell  as  to 
where  she  was  to  send  his  letters  in  Paris.  After  that  she 
sent  to  an  address  he  gave  in  Paris  all  letters  that  arrived  at 
the  hotel  for  him.  On  the  14th  of  September  she  received  a 
letter  (produced)  from  George  Bidwell,  dated  from  Trouville, 
France,  directing  her  where  to  send  any  letter  that  might 
arrive  addressed  to  Mr.  Hills.  On  the  23d  of  September  she 
received  a  letter  from  George  Bidwell,  dated  Paris,  September 
20th,  directing  her  as  to  the  further  disposal  of  letters  that 
might  arrive  addressed  to  him  or  to  his  brother  Austin.  She 
afterwards  forwarded  about  a  dozen  letters  to  him,  and  a  tele- 
gram to  an  address  he  had  given.  The  letters  had  come 
principally  from  America.  She  sent  them  on  towards  the 
end  of  October,  and  George  McDonald  called  a  few  days  after- 
wards at  the  hotel  and  thanked  her,  paying  her  in  the  mean- 
time for  the  postage,  and  giving  her  directions  as  to  future 


MR.  BID  WELDS  FRIEND.  335 

letters  that  might  arrive,  adding  that  Mr.  George  Bidwell, 
whom  he  said  was  traveling  on  the  Continent,  would  be  in 
London  soon.  Towards  the  middle  or  end  of  November, 
George  Bidwell  himself  called  at  the  hotel,  and  asked  for 
letters,  and  inquired  whether  "  Mr.  Hills  "  had  called,  adding 
that  he  had  been  expecting  him.  He  was  aware  that  McDon- 
ald had  called  and  paid  for  the  postage.  In  December 
"Hills"  (Noyes)  was  at  the  hotel,  and  giving  as  his  name  E. 
N.  Hills,  inquired  for  letters.  She  had  never  seen  him  before, 
and  asked  if  he  was  Mr.  Bidwell's  friend.  He  replied  that  he 
was,  and  she  gave  him  a  letter  which  Bidwell  had  left  there 
for  him.  He  also  asked  if  she  would  receive  letters  for  him 
if  called  for.  She  replied  that  he  being  a  friend  of  Mr.  Bid- 
well  she  would  do  so.  He  called  once  after  that  to  ask  for 
letters.  On  the  6th  of  March  witness  saw  George  Bidwell. 
He  took  breakfast  at  the  hotel,  and  asked  her  to  take  care  of 
some  small  things  for  him  until  he  called  for  them.  A  cab- 
man afterwards  called  with  a  letter  from  George  Bidwell, 
directing  that  the  things  he  had  left  should  be  given  to  the 
bearer,  which  was  done. 

Mr.  Alfred  Henry  Remond,  manager  at  the  head  office  of 
the  North  Atlantic  Express  Co.,  said  he  knew  McDonald.  On 
the  5th  of  March  he  called  on  witness  to  have  a  box  (which 
he  produced)  sent  to  a  Major  Matthews  in  New  York.  It 
purported  to  be  forwarded  by  Charles  Lossing,  London,  to 
Major  George  Matthews,  New  York,  and  the  contents  were 
described  as  wearing  apparel  not  in  use,  and  the  box  was 
directed  to  be  kept  in  New  York  until  called  for. 

Mr.  Willard  Brigham  Farwell,  general  superintendent  of 
the  North  Atlantic  Express  Co.,  who  have  an  office  on  Broad- 
way, New  York,  produced  the  way-bill  relating  to  the  box  in 
question,  and  said  the  box  arrived  there  on  the  20th  of 
March.  He  found  the  box  after  a  search  on  one  of  the  drays 
of  the  company.  A  woman  had  come  that  same  day  to 
inquire  for  the  box,  producing  a  letter  signed  George  Mat- 
thews, upon  which  witness  stopped  the   delivery  of  the  box. 


336  THE   OPENING   OF  THE    TRUNK. 

The  box  was  afterwards  opened  in  the  presence  of  witness, 
who  found  in  it  three  bundles  of  bonds,  representing  in  all 
1220,920.  He  also  found  in  it  some  visiting  cards  bearing 
the  name  George  Bid  well,  two  watches,  some  wearing  apparel, 
and  dies  for  stamping.  Some  of  the  bonds  were  wrapped  in 
a  nightshirt,  and  others  in  some  soiled  linen.  The  box  was 
opened  in  the  presence  of  several  witnesses  whom  witness 
named.  Witness  eventually  handed  all  the  contents  over  to 
the  receiver,  who  gave  witness  a  receipt  for  them. 

Mr.  Charles  M.  Da  Costa  was  next  called.  He  deposed 
that  he  was  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Blatchford,  Seward, 
Griswold  &  Ha  Costa,  of  New  York,  who  he  said  had  acted 
as  solicitors  there  to  the  Bank  of  England  during  these 
proceedings.  He  was  present  at  the  opening  of  the  trunk 
produced,  and  afterwards  had  delivered  to  him  the  bonds  pro- 
duced, and  other  property,  by  Mr.  Jarvis,  the  receiver  ap- 
pointed by  the  Supreme  Court  of  New  York.  The  property 
having  been  claimed,  as  the  direct  proceeds  of  the  forgeries, 
it  was  immediately  turned  over  to  Mr.  Peter  Williams,  of  the 
firm  of  Messrs.  Freshfield,  solicitors  to  the  bank.  It  included 
American  bonds  worth  in  English  money  about  £45,000, 
which  were  tightly  folded  up  in  three  parcels,  just  as  they 
were  now,  at  the  bottom  of  the  trunk  among  some  soiled 
linen.  The  trunk  also  contained  some  watches  and  dies,  with 
the  monogram  "  G.  B."  engraved  on  them,  also  a  little  bag  of 
foreign  coins,  a  large  collection  of  shells,  an  elegant  new 
dressing-gown,  and  clothes  of  different  kinds.  Witness  also 
obtained  from  the  post-office  at  New  York,  through  Mr.  Jar- 
vis,  the  receiver,  the  two  packages  produced,  one  addressed 
G.  C.  Brownell,  Esq.,  Brevoort  House,  Fifth  Avenue,  New 
York,  and  the  other  addressed  Austin  Bidwell,  Esq.,  New 
York,  U.  S.  A.,  care  of  New  York  Safety  Deposit  Co.,  No.  140 
Broadway.  They  had  been  detained  there  by  Mr.  Jarvis,  the 
receiver  in  the  suit,  and  handed  over  to  witness's  firm  eventu- 
ally. The  envelope  of  the  second  letter  bore  English  stamps, 
and  the  New  York  postmark  of  March  13,  1873.     It  was  a 


MAIL  PACKAGES   OPENED.  337 

registered  letter,  and  bore  the  London  postmark  of  the  25th 
of  February  last,  and  also  the  Cannon  Street  postmark.  It 
contained  bonds  for  117,500  or  -117,600,  equivalent  to  about 
£3,700  in  English  money,  and  the  seals  on  the  envelopes 
corresponded  with  one  of  the  dies  found  in  the  trunk.  The 
other  package,  addressed  G.  C.  Brownell,  Esq.,  bore  the  New 
York  postmark  of  March  20,  1873,  and  also  contained 
il7,500.  It  likewise  bore  a  similar  seal  to  that  of  the  other. 
Witness  also  procured  from  the  receiver  a  letter  (produced) 
addressed  George  M.  McDonald,  Esq.,  Post-office,  New  York 
City,  U.  S.  A.  It  was  dated  the  11th  of  March  last,  and  bore 
the  Edinburgh  postmark  of  that  date,  and  that  of  New  York 
of  March  24th.  It  also  bore  part  of  the  impression  of  a  seal 
with  the  monogram  "  G.  B."  Witness  also  produced  other 
letters  similar  in  various  respects,  found  in  the  trunk,  and 
with  that  his  evidence  concluded. 

James  Richardson,  a  waiter  at  Durant's  Hotel,  identified 
the  prisoners,  Noyes  and  McDonald.  On  the  27th  of  Decem- 
ber, he  said,  Noyes  came  there  at  night  and  engaged  a  bed- 
room, giving  afterwards  the  name  Edwin  Noyes,  and  on  the 
next  day  he  had  his  room  changed,  saying  he  would  stay 
about  a  month.  At  first  he  brought  no  luggage,  but  next  day 
did  about  half-past  ten  at  night.  He  stayed  about  a  fortnight, 
and  between  fifty  and  sixty  letters  afterward  came  for  him. 
McDonald  visited  him  at  the  hotel  on  one  occasion,  and  they 
left  together  in  a  hansom  cab.  [Another  case  of  mistaken 
identification.  It  was  "Warren." — G.  B.]  Noyes  returned 
to  the  hotel  the  same  night.  He  told  witness  afterwards  that 
he  had  been  very  successful  in  his  business  with  McDonald ; 
that  he  had  advertised  for  a  situation  as  clerk,  which  he  had 
obtained,  and  had  paid  X300  as  security.  Witness  remarked 
that  it  was  a  risk  to  pay  away  so  much  money  to  a  stranger, 
to  which  he  replied,  "  Not  with  such  gentlemen  as  these.  I 
think  I  am  all  right." 

At   this  point,  the    court  having   sat   upwards  of   seven 
hours,  the  case  was  again  adjourned  until  Saturday  morning. 
23 


Chapter  XXXIIL 


THE  TRIAL   CONTINUED  —  SIXTH  DAT,  SATURDAY,  AUGUST  23d  —  LONDON   SALESMEN 
REMEMBER   GOOD   CUSTOMERS — BIDWELL   BUYS  A   HAT — AN    EXPENSIVE    CANE 

—  NOYES  ORDERS  SHIRTS  AND   PAYS  FOR  THEM  —  A  CHAMBERMAID  RECOLLECTS 

—  A  LADY  HOTEL  KEEPER'S  STORY  —  THE  TELL-TALE  BLOTTER  —  ANOTHER 
MYSTERIOUS  BOX  —  FRANZ  ANTON  HEROLD'S  CURIOUS  EVIDENCE  —  A  RE- 
MARKABLY QUICK  JOURNEY  TO  PARIS  —  MORE  CLOTHES — "l  THOUGHT  HIM  A 
PERFECT    gentleman"  —  "  SUPERB  "    COOKERY  —  A  POST-MORTEM    DEPOSITION 

—  '*NOT  LOOKING  FOR  FENIANS  "  —  DIAMONDS — LIGHT  GOLD  —  I  PURCHASE 
LARGE  SUMS  IN  FOREIGN  GOLD  AND  NOTES  —  REFERENCES  REQUIRED  TO  OPEN 
BANK  ACCOUNTS  —  TESTIMONY  OF  THOMAS  STRAKER,  ENGRAVER  AND  PRINTER. 

AT  the  usual  hour,  10  o'clock,  the  case  for  the  prosecution 
was  continued,  the  court  being  organized  the  same, 
except  that  George  Bidwell  was  defended  by  Mr.  Besley.  The 
Old  Bailey  court-room  w^as  crowded  with  spectators  of  both 
sexes. 

Henry  Thomas  Hagger,  salesman  until  recently  to  Messrs. 
Kino,  tailors.  Regent  Street,  said  on  or  about  December  19th 
last  the  prisoner  Noyes  called  at  their  warehouse,  giving  the 
name  of  Brooks,  and  ordered  some  clothes,  for  which  he  after- 
ward paid  X3  10s.  He  subsequently  had  other  clothes  for 
which  he  paid  £b6  8s.,  and  he  gave  as  his  address  "Nelson's 
Hotel,  Great  Portland  Street."  Witness  also  knew  the 
prisoners,  George  McDonald  and  Austin  Bidwell,  as  cus- 
tomers on  one  occasion  in  September.  McDonald  gave 
him  an  address  at  Chiselhurst.  He  first  saw  Austin  Bidwell 
about  the  beginning  of  November  when  he  called  and  gave  an 
order  for  clothes.  They  made  clothes  for  him  to  the  amount 
of  X23. 

William  Mills,  shopman  to  Messrs.  E.  Bax  &  Co.,  hatters. 
Strand,  proved  that  on   November    26th   last   the    prisoner 

(338) 


MESSES.  BRAD  SUA  W,  MAPLE  SON,  AND  BROOKS.  33^ 

George  Bidwell  called  at  their  place  and  bought  a  hat.  On 
December  19th  he  and  the  prisoner  Noyes  called,  and  George 
Bidwell  introduced  Noyes  by  the  name  of  Brooks.  On  Jan- 
uary 24th  George  Bidwell  called  again. 

Thomas  Henry  Jessy,  manager  to  the  same  firm  at  their 
shop  in  Duncannon  Street,  said  that  he  knew  Austin  Bidwell, 
George  Bidwell,  and  George  McDonald.  On  August  20th  last 
he  saw  Austin  and  George  there,  when  they  brought  a  stick 
to  be  mounted  and  to  have  the  words  "  G.  M.  from  George 
and  Austin"  engraved  upon  it.  After  that  had  been  done 
Austin  called  for  the  stick  and  took  it  away.  The  mounting 
cost  £1  lOs.  George  McDonald  gave  his  address  at  the 
Alexandra  Hotel. 

Wm.  Henry  Boddemeade,  salesman  to  Messrs.  Pepe  & 
Plant,  hosiers  in  Waterloo  Place,  recognized  the  prisoner 
Noyes,  by  the  name  "  E.  F.  Williams,"  which  he  gave  on  one 
occasion  on  ordering  a  linen  shirt.  Afterwards  tried  it  on 
and  ordered  seven  others.  They  were  to  be  made  at  one 
guinea  each ;  gave  as  his  address  "  E.  F.  Williams,  Nelson's 
Portland  Hotel,  Great  Portland  Street."  He  paid  for  them 
and  took  them  away.  Witness  had  since  seen  some  of  his 
shirts  in  the  possession  of  the  police  officers. 

Caroline  Beard,  a  chambermaid  at  the  Grosvenor  Hotel, 
recognized  the  prisoners,  Noyes,  Austin  Bidwell,  and  George 
McDonald.  She  knew  Austin  as  Captain  Bradshaw.  He  came 
about  the  beorinnino'  of  December  and  left  on  the  2Tth  of  that 
month.  George  McDonald,  who  gave  the  name  of  Mapleson, 
stayed  four  or  five  weeks.  Austin  had  previously  told  her  he 
had  a  friend  coming,  and  they  would  make  one  bedroom  do. 
When  McDonald  came  he  and  the  other  occupied  the  same 
room.  They  afterwards  said  they  had  another  friend  coming 
and  she  asked  them  if  he  would  want  another  room.  The 
reply  was  that  he  would.  That  was  about  the  middle  of  De- 
cember. Noyes,  in  the  name  of  Brooks,  came  afterward,  but 
only  stayed  two  or  three  nights.  She  last  saw  Austin  Bid- 
well  on  December  27th. 


*340  PAPER  WITNESSES. 

Miss  Agnes  B.  Green  said  she  kept  a  private  hotel  at 
Number  7,  St.  James  Place,  and  she  knew  the  prisoner 
McDonald  as  Captain  McDonald.  He  took  rooms  there  and 
stayed  from  the  6th  of  February  till  the  3d  of  March.  He 
occupied  the  sitting-room  and  bedroom  adjoining  on  the  ground 
floor.  [All  the  forged  bills  were  prepared  in  these  rooms. — 
G.  B.]  Her  landlord  was  Mr.  Walter  Coulson,  the  surgeon. 
She  knew  George  Bidwell.  She  saw  him  several  times  at  the 
hotel.  She  used  to  go  to  Captain  McDonald's  rooms.  On 
March  2d  McDonald  left  and  took  his  luggage  with  him.  She 
saw  him  on  the  day  he  left.  He  said  he  was  going  to  Paris. 
Next  day  she  went  into  the  bedroom,  which  had  not  been 
occupied  in  the  meantime.  She  found  there  several  news- 
papers and  some  blotting  paper  (four  pieces)  with  some  ink 
impressions  upon  them.  [The  blotting  paper  was  produced.] 
She  read  something  about  the  case  on  Monday,  March  3d,  in 
the  Daily  Telegram^  after  McDonald  had  left,  and  in  conse- 
quence she  communicated  with  the  police,  and  afterwards 
gave  up  the  blotting  paper  to  William  Smith,  a  city  police 
officer,  and  also  the  city  directory  (produced)  which  McDonald 
had  left  behind  him. 

From  that,  said  Mr.  Poland,  one  of  the  counsel  for  the 
prosecution,  addressing  the  court,  some  pages  with  the  names 
of  engravers  upon  them  had  been  cut,  including  those  of 
Thomas  Straker  of  Ivy-lane,  Newgate  Street,  and  others.  He 
added  that  the  page  with  the  name  of  the  governor,  directors, 
and  officers  of  the  Bank  of  England  had  been  also  abstracted, 
as  also  the  names  of  certain  merchants  and  bankers.  Mr. 
Read,  the  Deputy  Clerk  of  Arraigns,  read  from  the  blotting 
paper  the  various  marks  upon  it.  Among  those  marks  were 
"  accepted  payable  at,"  "  London  and  Westminster  Bank," 
''  the  Bank  of  Belgium  and  Holland,"  "  Ten  thousand,"  "  St. 
Petersburgh,"  "A.  Biron,"  '^  Schroeder  &  Co.,"  "C.  E.  Dal- 
ton,"  ''  F.  A.  W.,"  and  many  others  less  distinct. 

Witness,  resuming,  said  that  she  remembered  on  one  occa- 
sion her  manager  bringing  her  a  £100  note  to  endorse.     Being 


JfAC  AC  OLD.  34;[ 

cross-examined,  witness  said  she  eventually  gave  information 
to  the  city  police  through  her  manager  at  their  office  in  the 
Old  Jewry.  She  did  that  in  consequence  of  reading  an 
account  of  the  forgeries.  She  sent  information,  she  said, 
because  her  manager  had  told  her  the  whole  of  their  conduct 
was  very  extraordinary. 

Franz  Anton  Her  old,  manager  of  Miss  Green's  private 
hotel,  said  that  he  remembered  McDonald  coming  there,  and 
giving  as  an  introduction  the  name  of  Dr.  Coulson.  He 
engaged  a  bedroom  and  sitting-room  on  the  ground  floor. 
The  window  of  the  bedroom  looked  into  St.  James  Street.  He 
had  seen  the  prisoner  George  Bidwell  there.  He  first  came 
on  February  7th.  Witness  knew  him  by  the  name  George, 
from  Mr.  McDonald  so  calling  him.  On  the  day  McDonald 
arrived,  he  said  he  should  like  to  have  fires  as  large  as  they 
could  be  made,  assigning  as  a  reason,  that  he  came  from  a 
very  hot  climate,  and  felt  chilly.  Witness  carried  out  his 
instructions  about  the  fires,  but  the  prisoner  still  complained 
that  they  were  not  large  enough.  On  February  10th, 
George  Bidwell  was  there,  and  witness  got  for  him  the 
Continental  Railway  Guide.  The  same  day,  McDonald,  in 
Bidwell's  presence,  asked  witness  to  get  a  wooden  box 
made  for  him,  saying  he  wanted  to  send  to  India  a  machine 
and  a  cloak  to  wrap  it  in.  Witness  had  a  box  made  for 
the  express  purpose,  and  gave  it  to  McDonald.  A  few  days 
after  he  had  been  at  the  hotel,  McDonald  ordered  him  to 
tell  the  servants  when  they  came  to  his  door  to  knock  loudly, 
and  not  to  enter  until  he  said  "  Come  in."  He  stayed  at  the 
hotel  until  March  3d. 

George  Bidwell  came  nearly  every  day,  sometimes  as  early 
as  half-past  seven  or  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning.  He  gen. 
erally  rang  the  front  door-bell,  and  McDonald  himself  used 
to  come  out  in  his  shirt  sleeves  and  open  the  door,  his  bedroom 
being  next  the  entrance  hall.  Witness  had  heard  George 
Bidwell  knock  at  McDonald's  window  with  a  stick  or  um- 
brella,  and   McDonald   coming  out,  was  about  to  open  the 


342  BUSINESS  BY  GASLIGHT. 

door,  but  witness  opened  it  instead.  George  Bidwell  used  to 
remain  the  greater  part  of  the  forenoon,  and  to  go  out  and  in 
during  the  day.  They  were  always  writing  in  the  bedroom,  and 
used  candles  and  gas  almost  day  and  night.  They  lighted  all 
the  gas  burners  there  were  in  the  room.  The  sitting-room  was 
at  the  back,  and  each  of  the  two  rooms  had  a  separate  entrance 
and  a  communicating  door.  The  gas  globes  in  the  room  were 
all  cracked  from  the  pressure  of  gas,  and  the  ceiling  above  the 
burners  was  very  black.  The  blinds  used  generally  to  be  down 
in  the  daytime  as  well  as  at  night.  He  remembered  McDonald 
asking  him  for  a  piece  of  glass,  and  witness  gave  him  the 
piece  produced  which  he  found  in  the  room  after  he  left.  On 
going  into  the  room,  he  used  to  notice  papers  like  bills  of 
exchange  on  the  table.  He  remembered  once  McDonald 
receiving  two  telegrams.  He  last  saw  Bidwell  on  March  1st. 
McDonald  left  on  March  3d,  sending  his  baggage  off  in  two 
cabs,  and  walking  away  himself.  He  left  no  address,  but 
said  he  was  going  to  Paris,  but  would  return  that  same  night. 
Witness  said  upon  that,  "  You  are  a  very  quick  traveler," 
(Laughter.)  He  gave  some  directions  to  witness  about  a  dis- 
patch box  before  he  went  away.  After  he  had  gone,  witness 
found  in  the  bedroom  and  sitting-room  several  foreign  news- 
papers. On  first  coming  to  the  hotel,  he  gave  witness  £170 
in  gold  to  get  changed  for  Bank  of  England  notes.  Witness 
did  so. 

Replying  to  Mr.  Metcalf  and  Mr.  Besley,  in  cross-exam- 
ination, the  witness  said  McDonald  was  almost  always  writing 
in  the  bedroom,  and  with  the  blinds  down.  Witness  some- 
times went  in  to  ask  for  orders  without  being  rung  for.  His 
suspicions  had  been  excited  before  Bidwell  went  away. 
Referring  to  the  sheet  of  glass  produced,  witness  said  he  took 
it  out  of  a  picture  frame  in  his  own  room.  He  never  saw  the 
'  glass  used  for  any  purpose.  He  had  seen  George  Bidwell 
write  in  the  bedroom,  and  Bidwell  and  McDonald  were  gener- 
ally together  either  in  the  sitting-room  or  the  bedroom. 

Thomas  Brown  Barnard,  salesman  to  Messrs.  Newton  & 


MUCH  RAIMENT.  343 

Co.,  tailors,  Hanover  Square,  said  he  knew  George  Bidwell  as 
Horace  Arthur.  He  called  there  on  May  1st,  last  year,  and 
ordered  £43  worth  of  clothes.  Being  asked  for  a  reference, 
he  paid  XIO  on  account.  He  called  and  tried  the  clothes  on, 
and  afterwards  paid  for  them.  Witness  did  not  see  him  again 
until  December  6th,  when  he  gave  an  order  for  more  clothes. 
On  December  12th,  he  called  again  accompanied  by  McDon- 
ald, whom  witness  knew  by  the  name  of  Mapleson.  The  firm 
also  made  clothes  for  Noyes,  who  was  known  as  Mr.  E.  F. 
Williams,  to  the  amount  of  X21  15s.,  for  which  he  paid  on  the 
4th  of  January.  He  saw  George  Bidwell  about  December  1st, 
who  then  gave  an  order  for  a  dressing-gown  as  a  present. 
Towards  the  end  of  January,  George  Bidwell  gave  an  order 
for  a  hunting  suit,  which  he  directed  to  be  sent  to  the  Rugby 
railway  station.  On  that  day,  he  paid  <£50  on  account.  The 
hunting-suit  was  sent  to  Rugby  on  Feburary  18th,  and  wit- 
ness afterwards  learned  from  him  that  he  had  received  it. 
On  March  4th,  witness  received  a  letter  in  pencil  from  him 
"  H.  Arthur,"  in  consequence,  he  altered  a  coat  as  requested. 
Next  day  he  called  at  their  shop  in  a  very  agitated  state  and 
paid  his  account,  taking  away  with  him  the  clothes  they  had 
made  for  him,  some  of  which,  in  the  possession  of  the  police, 
witness  had  since  recognized. 

Mrs.  Ann  Thomas  said  she  lived  at  21  Enfield  Road, 
Hagerston,  in  April  last,  and  knew  Austin  Bidwell,  George 
Bidwell,  and  McDonald.  She  saw  George  Bidwell  first.  He 
took  apartments  at  her  house  in  April,  in  1872,  engaging  to 
leave  at  any  time.  He  gave  the  name  "  Mr.  Anthony," 
and  was  accompanied  by  another  person.  While  George  Bid- 
well  lodged  there,  Austin  Bidwell  and  MtiDonald  visited  him 
every  day.  A  parcel  came  for  a  Mr.  Warren,  which  she  took 
up  to  him.     It  was  kept. 

Upon  the  counsel  for  the  prosecution  attempting  to  elicit 
an  unfavorable  opinion  as  to  the  judgment  she  had  formed 
reo:ardinG:  Georfre  Bidwell  from  his  sreneral  conduct  while  in 
her  house,  witness  said,  with  warmth :  "  No ;  I  thought  him 


344  ^^  ^^  VERTISEMENT  FOR  MRS.  THOMAS. 

a  perfect  gentleman ! "  Her  spirited  reply  caused  much 
amusement  in  court. 

Bid  well  remained  with  her  a  little  more  than  a  week. 
When  he  left  she  missed  a  latch-key,  which  she  afterwards 
received  back  in  a  letter,  dated  from  the  Terminus  Hotel, 
London  Bridge,  in  which  the  writer  expressed  his  obligations 
for  her  kindness  and  attention  to  him  and  his  friends  during 
their  stay,  adding  that  everything  in  her  house  was  neat,  and 
the  cooking  had  been  superb.  (Laughter.)  After  George 
Bidwell  lefty  Austin  Bidwell  called  and  took  away  some 
things.  In  March  last  she  received  a  letter  from  ''Mr. 
Anthony"  (otherwise  George  Bidwell),  from  Edinburgh, 
dated  the  14th,  in  which  he  stated  that  it  was  his  intention 
to  return  to  his  old  lodgings  in  a  day  or  two.  [This  was  just 
after  the  hunt  through  Ireland.  —  G.  B.]  Witness  had  no 
room  at  that  time,  but  she  engaged  a  bed  and  a  sitting-room 
for  him  at  an  opposite  neighbor's,  and  wrote  to  him  in  Edin- 
burgh to  that  effect. 

Mr.  George  C.  Oke,  chief  clerk  to  the  Lord  Mayor  at  the 
Mansion  House,  produced  the  original  deposition  taken  by 
him  at  the  justice's  room,  of  a  witness  named  James  M'Kelvie, 
an  Edinburgh  detective,  who  had  died  since  the  committal  of 
the  prisoners  for  trial. 

M'Kelvie  said :  "  I  am  a  private  detective  officer,  residing 
at  120  Nicholson  Street,  Edinburgh.  I  received  certain  in- 
formation from  Gibson,  Craig  &  Co.  of  Edinburgh,  writers  to 
the  Signet,  and  in  consequence  of  this  I  watched  the  house 
No.  22  Cumberland  Street,  Edinburgh,  on  Wednesday  last, 
April  2d,  from  about  twenty-five  minutes  past  ten  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  It  is  a  private  house.  The  prisoner  came  out 
of  the  house  to  the  door,  looked  around,  went  back  again 
and  remained  in  about  twenty  minutes,  and  then  came  out, 
and  from  his  appearance  I  suspected  that  he  was  George 
Bidwell.  I  watched  him  and  saw  where  he  went.  He  posted 
a  letter  in  a  pillar-box,  and  then  he  went  to  a  stationer's  shop, 
and  then  to  a  baker's  shop.     When  standing  at  the  door  he 


THE  DEAD  SCOTCHMAN  S  ''STORY.''  345 

looked  'round  and  came  out  and  went  'round  the  corner,  and 
in  about  twenty  yards  he  set  off  to  run  as  hard  as  he  could. 
I  ran  after  him.  He  ran  into  a  blacksmith  shop,  from  which 
he  turned  back  and  passed  me.  I  took  no  notice  of  him  as 
he  did  so.  He  walked  on  a  little,  and  then  started  to  run 
again.  He  then  ran  down  Drummond  Place  and  Scotland 
Street.  He  went  through  Scotland  Street  lane,  swung  him- 
self over  the  church  railings,  and  jumped  over  several  stone 
walls,  one  after  the  other.  I  followed  him,  and  he  went 
through  a  private  house,  into  Scotland  Street  again.  I  got 
'round  to  the  street  by  another  way,  and  was  there  as  soon  as 
he.  I  ran  him  to  Duncan  Street,  Stockbridge,  in  which  he 
came  to  a  standstill  and  could  not  run  any  farther.  He  made 
several  thrusts  at  me  with  a  stick  which  he  had  iyi  his  hand, 
I  took  out  of  my  pocket  a  small  baton  and  held  it  out  as  if  it 
were  a  pistol^  and  told  him  to  stand  and  he  a  gentleman^  and 
give  me  his  hand  ;  to  he  a  hrother,  and  not  a  coward J^  [Pure 
fancy  and  self-glorification.  —  G.  B.]  "I  got  hold  of  his  hand 
and  held  him.  I  called  him  '  brother,'  because  I  fancied  he 
gave  me  a  Masonic  sign.  I  got  assistance,  and  drove  him  in 
a  cab  to  Messrs.  Gibson,  Craig  &  Co.'s  office,  and  said, '  You 
are  George  Bidwell !  You  are  wanted  for  the  forgery  on  the 
Bank  of  England !  He  spoke  some  foreign  language,  and  I 
do  not  know  what  he  said.  I  understood  him  to  say  that  he 
was  not  a  Fenian.  I  said,  '  I  know  that ;  I  am  not  looking 
for  any  Fenians."  When  I  got  him  to  the  office  I  asked  him 
whether  he  could  give  any  account  of  himself,  and  why  he 
ran  over  those  private  grounds  and  stone  walls,  and  he  would 
not  give  me  any  answer.  A  few  minutes  later  he  said  that 
he  was  subject  to  giddiness  in  the  head,  and  took  to  those  fits 
of  running  away.  [Great  laughter  in  court.]  I  asked  him 
what  I  might  call  him,  and  he  said,  '  You  may  call  me  James, 
if  you  like.'  He  would  give  no  answer  to  any  question,  after 
that.  He  spoke  in  very  broken  English,  like  a  Frenchman. 
I  gave  him  a  book  to  read.  He  said  that  either  his  father  or 
mother  belonged  to  France,  and  the  other  to  Germany.     He 


346  ^^^^  JEWELERS'  HARVEST. 

also  said  that  he  had  been  to  Paris.  I  told  him  that  there 
was  an  old  friend  of  his  doing  five  years  there  just  now. 
[More  laughter.]  I  bound  up  his  leg,  which  was  cut  and 
bleeding.  He  was  then  handed  over  to  the  police  in  Edinburgh, 
and  1  had  nothing  more  to  do  with  him.  The  stationer's 
shop  into  which  I  saw  him  go  was  kept  by  Mr.  Anderson.  I 
did  not  search  him  or  the  lodgings.  I  only  watched  the 
lodgings." 

Mr.  John  Robert  Gray,  assistant  to  Messrs.  Hawes  &  Son, 
14  Cranbourne  Street,  jewelers,  said  that  in  December  last  he 
sold  a  watch  to  a  person  giving  the  name  of  George  Bidwell, 
and  the  address  7  Upper  Gloucester  Place.  The  same  per- 
son called  again  on  January  29th,  when  witness  sold  him  a 
brilliant  ring  for  100  guineas.  He  paid  with  a  bank-note  for 
XlOO  and  £5  in  gold.  He  also  sold  him  a  carbuncle  and 
diamond  sfet  for  50  guineas.  He  paid  that  sum  in  gold. 
The  same  day  witness  paid  the  £100  note  into  his  masters' 
account  at  the  City  Bank.  He  afterwards  saw  the  jewelry 
that  he  had  sold  to  George  Bidwell  at  the  Mansion  House, 
and  he  identified  it. 

Mr.  Walter  Weston  Goss,  cashier  at  the  Bond  Street 
branch  of  the  City  Bank,  deposed  that  Messrs.  Hawes  &  Son, 
jewelers,  kept  an  account  there,  and  on  January  29th  a  XlOO 
bank-note  was  paid  into  the  credit  of  their  account.  [This 
was  one  of  the  notes  paid  to  McDonald  at  the  bank  on  Jan- 
uary 28th,  in  exchange  for  gold.] 

William  Gardner  said  he  was  in  the  service  of  his  father, 
a  commission  and  diamond  merchant  at  Edinburgh.  In 
February  last  he  was  living  at  Barnesbury,  and  in  conse- 
quence of  a  letter  he  went  to  17  St.  James  Place  on  the 
evening  of  the  27th.  He  asked  for  Mr.  McDonald,  and  was 
taken  to  a  room  on  the  ground  floor,  where  he  saw  the  pris- 
oner of  that  name.  He  showed  him  some  diamonds.  After 
looking  at  them,  the  prisoner  desired  him  to  call  again  the 
next  morning.  Witness  did  so,  and  the  prisoner  purchased 
one  large  and  three  small  diamonds,  for  £300.     He  gave 


BOGUS  PEARLS.  347 

him  in  payment  three  £100  bank-notes.  Witness  made  out 
a  bill  and  handed  him  a  receipt  for  the  money.  On  that 
occasion  McDonald  showed  him  a*  dressing-bag  which  he  said 
had  been  given  to  him.  Witness  returned  to  the  house  in 
the  afternoon,  at  McDonald's  request,  and  saw  the  prisoner 
George  Bidwell  in  company  with  McDonald.  Bidwell  looked 
at  some  diamonds,  but  declined  to  purchase  them. 

Mr.  Benjamin  Nathan,  a  diamond  merchant  in  St.  James 
Terrace,  Lambeth  Road,  said  that  on  August  24th  last  he  was 
at  Messrs.  Welby's  shop  in  Garrick  Street,  and  saw  there  the 
prisoner  George  Bidwell.  He  sold  some  diamonds  to  him  for 
c£63.  He  gave  the  name  of  Charles  Warren,  and  the  address 
Charing  Cross  Hotel.  He  subsequently  made  appointments 
to  meet  him  at  that  and  other  hotels.  On  March  6th  last  he 
saw  him  again  at  Messrs.  Welby's.  They  went  to  Bibra's 
Hotel  in  St.  Martin's  Lane,  where  he  sold  him  four  diamond 
lockets,  two  pearl  pins,  one  turquoise  and  pearl  pin  in  the 
shape  of  a  parrot,  a  small  keyless  watch,  a  gold  necklet,  with 
three  hooks  to  hold  lockets,  and  a  vinaigrette.  [He  sold  me 
the  pearls  for  genuine;  they  were  bogus. —  G.  B.]  The  bill 
came  to  X114,  which  the  prisoner  paid  him.  The  prisoner 
became  somewhat  excited  on  that  occasion. 

Mr.  John  Henry  Welby,  wholesale  diamond  merchant  in 
Garrick  Street,  Covent  Garden,  saw  and  recognized  the  pris- 
oners, George  McDonald  and  George  Bidwell.  They  were 
both  at  his  place  of  business  in  February  last.  They  had 
come  previously,  but  no  business  was  done.  On  March  6th 
he  remembered  seeing  George  Bidwell  and  the  witness,  Mr. 
Nathan,  in  his  shop.  The  prisoner,  whom  he  knew  by  the 
name  of  Warren,  selected  some  diamonds  of  the  value  of 
X280.     He  paid  for  them  in  Dutch  bank-notes. 

Mr.  Edward  Francis  Gedge,  an  underwriter  at  the  Royal 
Exchange  Assurance  Office,  said  he  knew  the  prisoner  McDon- 
ald. On  February  24th  last,  he  called  there  and  asked  to 
have  some  American  bonds  in  a  packet  addressed  to  New 
York  insured.     Witness  filled  up  a  slip  containing  the  num- 


348  INSURANCE. 

bers  of  the  bonds,  which  the  prisoner  had  called  over  to  him 
from  the  bonds  themselves.  The  policy  was  made  out  in  the 
name  of  E.  N.  Hills,  and  the  sum  insured  was  £2,100.  He 
signed  the  slip  "For  E.  N.  Hills,  Geo.  McDonald."  The 
policy  was  never  called  for.  He  subsequently  instructed  him 
to  insure  other  bonds  of  the  value  of  £3,600,  in  the  name  of 
"Austin  Bidwell,  New  York."  The  prisoner  on  that  occasion 
brought  a  slip  with  the  numbers  of  the  bonds  already  written. 

Mr.  George  Peter  Richardson,  a  clerk  in  the  Royal 
Exchange  Insurance  Office,  said  he  saw  McDonald  on  Feb- 
ruary 25th,  when  he  came  about  the  second  policy  mentioned 
by  Mr.  Gedge.  The  prisoner  requested  the  witness  to  take 
charge  of  the  two  policies,  as  he  was  going  abroad  for  some 
time  with  Mr.  Hills. 

Mr.  Robert  C.  M.  Bowles,  said  in  April  last  he  was  a 
banker  in  the  Strand.  He  had  never  seen  the  prisoner  Austin 
Bidwell.  He  denied  that  the  prisoner  had  withdrawn  £7,500 
from  his  bank,  as  he  had  represented  to  the  manager  of  the 
Continental  Bank.  No  one  named  Bidwell,  Horton,  or  War- 
ren, ever  banked  with  him. 

Mr.  Henry  Harris,  the  country  manager  to  Messrs.  Baum 
&  Son,  money  changers,  58  Lombard  Street,  deposed  that  he 
knew  the  prisoner  George  Bidwell  by  the  name  of  Nicholl  or 
NichoUs.  He  first  saw  him  on  November  30th  last,  when  he 
exchanged  £400  in  Bank  of  England  notes  into  foreign  money 
for  him.  On  January  21st  he  saw  him  again,  and  sold  him 
£1,220  worth  of  French  gold  and  notes,  for  which  he  paid  in 
bank-notes.  On  January  24th  he  saw  a  person  who  gave  the 
name  and  address  as  it  now  appeared  in  their  books,  "  Voges, 
28  George  Street,  Manchester  Square,"  for  whom  he  exchanged 
£500  in  bank-notes  into  Dutch  money.  On  February  8th  he 
saw  George  Bidwell  again.  On  that  occasion  he  brought 
£250  in  English  gold,  and  the  witness  gave  him  Austrian 
and  Dutch  money  in  exchange.  On  the  10th  he  came  again, 
and  brought  £170  in  bank-notes  which  he  exchanged  for  for- 
eign money.     On  February  28th  he  saw  him  again,  when  he 


LIGHT  WEIGHTS. 


349 


brought  £200  in  bank-notes.  He  said  he  wanted  to  exchange 
them  for  light  English  gold,  remarking  that  he  desired  to  pay 
back  in  his  own  coin  a  friend  who  had  a  day  or  two  previously 
given  him  light  gold.  Witness  took  him  to  Messrs.  Barclays' 
and  got  the  notes  exchanged  for  him. 

[The  sovereigns  were  delivered  from  the  bank  in  sealed  bags 
containing  1,000,  and  on  some  occasions,  I  merely  broke  the 
seal  and  removed  the  slip  show  ing  the  date  when  it  was  put  up, 


MACHINE   FOR   WEIGmNG   GOLD. 

tied  the  bags  up  again,  and  sent  them  directly  back  to  re-ex- 
change for  notes  —  yet  there  would  be  several  shillings  to  pay 
for  loss  on  light  sovereigns.  After  being  in  circulation,  most 
sovereigns  become  "  light" — when  run  through  the  very  deli- 
cate weighing  machines  in  use  at  the  Bank  of  England.  But 
how  about  those  I  returned  without  removing  them  from  the 
bags?  Knowing  that  all  who  bring  gold  to  the  bank  are 
expecting  a  deduction  for  light  weights,  is  such  an  instance  as 
above  some  clerk's  "  perquisite  "  ?     Afterwards,  I  purchased 


350  AMERICAN  BONDS   WANTED. 

the  light  gold,  the  witness  Harris  mentions,  to  mix  in  with 
that  taken  from  the  bank,  so  that  when  it  was  re-weighed,  it 
would  convey  the  impression  to  the  weigh-master  that  it  had 
been  for  some  time  in  circulation.  In  his  opening  speech  Mr. 
Giffard  was  correct  in  stating  that  this  was  done  to  break 
the  connection  so  that  the  Bank  of  England  notes  could  not 
be  traced  to  us. —  G.  B.] 

Mr.  Harold  Anthony  Smith,  clerk  to  Messrs.  Baring  Bros., 
said  on  January  29th  last,  he  received  an  application  for  a 
letter  of  credit  for  XI, 000  on  New  York.  The  person  apply- 
ing for  it  gave  the  name  of  E.  N.  Hales.  The  applicant  being 
asked  his  address,  replied  "Brighton."  Witness  inquired  if 
that  was  sufficient,  and  he  said  it  was.  The  letter  was  paid 
for  in  ten  bank-notes  for  £100  each.  (These  notes  had  been 
paid  to  McDonald  on  the  28th,  in  exchange  for  gold.)  Mr. 
James  Searle,  Junior,  said  he  was  a  stock-broker  at  Bartholo- 
mew House  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Watson.  He  knew  the 
prisoner  McDonald.  He  came  to  their  office  on  February 
21st,  and  asked  if  they  were  members  of  the  stock  exchange 
and  stock  and  share  brokers.  He  replied  they  were,  and  he 
inquired  in  turn  his  name  and  who  had  introduced  him  to 
them.  He  replied  he  had  just  arrived  from  abroad,  and  was 
staying  at  Chiselhurst,  and  he  could  give  no  introduction. 
Witness  told  him  it  was  not  their  custom  to  do  business  with 
any  one  without  an  introduction.  He  answered  that  he  did 
not  know  it  was  necessary,  and  that  he  intended  to  purchase 
c£  10,000  worth  of  American  bonds,  and  that  he  would  pay  for 
them  immediately  in  bank-notes  or  gold.  Witness  still 
declined  to  do  business  with  him  without  an  introduction,  and 
he  left.  Next  day  the  prisoner  brought  to  them  a  letter  of 
credit  on  Messrs.  J.  S.  Morgan  &  Co.,  and  they,  knowing  that 
Messrs.  Morgan  did  not  grant  such  letters  until  after  inquiry, 
consented  to  take  that  as  sufficient  introduction.  They  pur- 
chased for  him  X  10,000  worth  of  American  bonds  which  he 
duly  paid  for.  On  the  1st  of  March,  he  came  again,  and  said 
he  had  £20,000  to  invest.  He  did  not  make  any  purchase  on 
that  occasion. 


COLOSSAL   SALES   OF  U.  S.  BONDS.  35^ 

Mr.  Alfred  Joseph  Baker,  clerk  to  Messrs.  Jay  Cooke, 
M'Culloch  &  Co.,  American  bankers,  Lombard  Street,  de- 
posed that  he  knew  the  prisoner  Austin  Bidwell  under  the 
name  of  F.  A.  Warren,  and  first  saw  him  some  time  in  May, 
1872.  He  next  saw  him  in  August,  with  reference  to  the  pur- 
chase of  some  Portuguese  stock.  He  first  saw  the  prisoner 
Noyes  on  January  9th,  and  afterwards  on  twelve  different 
occasions,  when  he  purchased  American  bonds  on  behalf  of 
C.  J.  Horton.  Being  cross-examined  by  Mr.  Mclntyre,  Q.  C, 
and  Mr.  Kibton,  he  said  Austin  Bidwell  made  several  pur- 
chases of  bonds  in  May,  August,  and  September,  1872.  Ameri- 
can bonds  were  purchased  to  a  very  large  amount  in  the  city. 
Last  year  witness's  house  alone  put  upon  the  market  f75,- 
000,000  of  United  States  bonds.  Witness  at  first  understood 
that  Noyes  himself  was  Mr.  Horton.  But  the  prisoner  after- 
wards told  him  his  own  name  was  Noyes  and  that  he  was  a 
clerk  of  Horton's.  On  one  occasion  he  said  his  master  was 
about  to  take  an  office  in  the  Poultry.  There  was  nothing  at 
all  unusual  in  the  transactions  with  the  prisoners.  In  re-ex- 
amination by  Mr.  Giffard,  he  said  on  the  28th  of  February, 
the  day  before  Noyes  was  arrested,  the  prisoner  ordered  the 
firm  to  purchase  $25,000  in  United  States  bonds,  and  such 
purchase  was  effected,  but  the  bonds  were  never  delivered. 

Mr.  Alfred  Lidington,  chief  cashier  to  Messrs.  Clews, 
Habicht  &  Co.,  American  bankers.  Old  Broad  Street,  said  he 
knew  the  prisoner  George  Bidwell  by  the  name  of  W.  J. 
Spaulding.  He  bought  some  bonds  of  them  in  January  last, 
and  paid  with  six  £100  notes.  (These  were  notes  received 
by  McDonald  at  the  bank  in  exchange  for  gold.)  A  few  days 
afterwards  he  called  again  and  paid  a  small  balance  due  to 
the  firm.  He  afterwards  bought  three  bills  of  exchange,  and 
asked  witness  if  they  were  good  acceptances.  Witness  prom- 
ised to  inquire,  and  he  left  them.  He  subsequently  brought 
eight  or  ten  other  bills  for  discount.  (These  were  the  bills 
produced  by  the  American  witness,  Mr.  Duncan.).  Witness 
inquired  if  he  had  not  a  banking  account,  and  he  replied  "Not 


352  "BROOKS." 

at  present."  Witness  asked  him  to  sign  his  name  and  ad- 
dress in  their  signature  book,  and  he  wrote  "  W.  J.  Spauld- 
ing,  Brighton."  Witness  said  that  Brighton  was  a  large 
place,  and  that  they  must  have  some  other  address.  Prisoner 
said  that  it  was  quite  sufficient,  and  any  letter  or  telegram 
so  addressed  would  reach  him.  The  firm  eventually  declined 
to  discount  the  bill. 

Mr.  Albert  Jordan,  another  clerk  to  Messrs.  Clews, 
Habicht  &  Co.,  said  he  was  present  when  the  bonds  referred 
to  were  delivered  to  George  Bidwell.  He  identified  from  the 
package  addressed  to  "  G.  C.  Brownell,  N.  Y.,"  some  of  the 
bonds  so  sold  to  the  prisoner.  Replying  to  Mr.  Bibton,  he 
said  that  he  remembered  seeing  Noyes  on  the  5th  of  February, 
when  he  told  him  he  was  clerk  to  Mr.  Horton.  He  after- 
wards received  a  letter  from  him  signed  "  for  C.  J.  Horton, 
E.  Noyes."  He  gave  as  a  reference  the  Continental  Bank, 
and  witness  accompanied  him  there.  He  was  there  identified 
as  Horton's  clerk.  Noyes  told  him  Horton  was  an  American 
merchant  then  staying  at  the  Terminus  Hotel,  London 
Bridge. 

Mr.  Henry  West  said  he  was  clerk  to  Messrs.  J.  S.  Morgan 
&  Co.,  American  merchants.  He  knew  the  prisoner  George 
McDonald.  He  called  at  Messrs.  Morgans  on  the  first  of  Feb- 
ruary and  wanted  to  open  an  account  with  them  with  a  sum 
of  £1,280.  Witness  said  it  was  usual,  before  doing  business, 
to  receive  some  reference,  and  the  prisoner  then  produced  a 
letter  of  credit  from  their  Paris  correspondents.  They  con- 
sented for  the  time  to  receive  the  £1,280  on  deposit,  and 
promised  to  make  further  inquiries.  On  February  20th  wit- 
ness handed  him  back  the  money  by  a  check  on  the  London 
Joint  Stock  Bank.     He  gave  them  a  receipt. 

Mr.  Thomas  Straker,  an  engraver  and  printer  at  16  Ivy- 
lane,  Paternoster  Row,  said  he  knew  the  prisoner  George  Bid- 
well  by  the  name  of  Brooks.  He  called  upon  him  about  De- 
cember 18th,  and  he  said  he  had  been  recommended  to  him 
by  Messrs.  Nelson.     He  brought  two  copper  plates  with  blank 


COPPER-PLATE    WORK.  353 

bill  forms  on  them,  and  asked  witness  if  he  did  copper-plate 
work.  Witness  replied  that  he  did,  and  prisoner  inquired 
what  he  would  make  him  500  impressions  for.  He  said  fifteen 
shillings.  One  of  the  plates  had  the  figure  "  1  "  upon  it,  and 
the  other  had  the  word  "  first,"  and  the  prisoner  desired  that 
this  arrangement  should  be  reversed.  Witness  said  that  he 
could  easily  do  that,  but  that  he  could  not  execute  the  work 
before  Christmas.  The  prisoner  urged  him  to  do  it  before 
that  date,  and  promised  to  give  him  five  shillings  extra  if  he 
did.  Some  of  the  forms  were  ready  before  Christmas-day, 
and  were  delivered  to  the  prisoner.  Afterwards  he  printed 
some  forms  with  the  word  "  second  "  and  with  the  figure  "  2  " 
upon  them.  He  saw  the  prisoner  early  in  January,  when  he 
ordered  him  to  print  a  few  copies.  He  next  gave  him  orders 
to  engrave  some  names  of  places  on  separate  slips  of  copper, 
namely,  Cairo,  Bombay,  Hong  Kong,  Valparaiso,  Yokohama, 
and  Alexandria.  Some  of  them  were  afterwards  inserted  in 
bill  forms.  He  also  engraved  for  him  the  names  of  the 
Union  Bank  of  London,  and  the  London  and  Westminster 
Bank,  and  printed  them  in  the  body  of  the  bills.  On  one 
occasion  he  brought  him  four  plates  with  ornamental  scrolls 
upon  them,  and  the  prisoner  selected  other  scrolls  from  his 
pattern-book.  He  put  impressions  of  some  of  those  scrolls 
upon  the  bill  forms.  He  also  engraved  for  the  prisoner  two 
plates  of  bill  forms,  and  made  impressions  of  them.  Li  the 
center  of  the  scrolls  he  printed  the  names  respectively  of  H. 
C.  Streeter,  T.  Perkins,  D.  R.  Howell,  and  Juan  Perez,  which 
were  inserted  in  the  bills.  Witness  made  a  mistake  in  spell- 
ing the  name  "Juan  Perez,"  upon  which  the  prisoner  was  very 
cross,  and  the  work  had  to  be  done  over  again.  The  last  time 
he  saw  him  was  on  the  22d  and  23d  of  February.  On  an  aver- 
age he  used  to  see  him  twice  a  week.  He  told  witness  he  was 
getting. up  samples  of  bills  of  exchange.  On  the  last  occasion 
he  took  away  all  the  bill  forms  and  plates,  with  the  exception 
of  four  scroll  blocks,  which  he  left  behind  by  accident.  He 
asked  witness  to  show  him  how  to  erase  the  bills  from  the 
23 


354  ^^^  JURY  TO  ATTEND   DIVINE   SERVICE. 

plates,  and  witness  did  so,  remarking  after  the  operation  that 
he  could  not  produce  another  impression  of  that  same  bill  if 
he  paid  him  XI 00  for  doing  so.  No  suspicion  was  excited  at 
any  time.  He  did  about  one  hundred  copies.  Witness  was 
shown  twenty-three  of  the  forged  bills,  upon  which  he  identi- 
fied impressions  of  the  various  stamps  he  made  for  the  prisoner. 
He  also  said  they  were  all  written  on  blank  forms  supplied  by 
him.  The  bills  were  as  follows:  one  for  .£2,500,  dated  Ham- 
burg, December  26th,  drawn  by  Oppenheim  &  Co.,  and  pur- 
porting to  be  accepted  by  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank ; 
one  for  £143  9s.  6c?.,  and  two  for  £1,000  each,  dated  Cairo, 
December  30th,  drawn  by  T.  Perkins,  and  accepted  at  the 
Bank  of  Belgium  and  Holland;  three  for  £1,000  each,  dated 
Valparaiso,  December  18th,  drawn  by  H.  C.  Streeter,  and 
accepted  by  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank;  three  for 
£1,000  each,  dated  Yokohama,  December  18th,  drawn  by 
D.  R.  Howell,  and  accepted  by  the  London  and  Westminster 
Bank;  one  for  £2,000,  another  for  £1,500,  and  a  third  for 
£1,000,  dated  Valparaiso,  November  18th,  drawn  by  H.  C. 
Streeter,  and  accepted  by  the  London  and  Westminster  Bank ; 
seven  for  £1,000  each,  dated  Bombay,  January  16th,  drawn 
by  Juan  Perez,  and  accepted  by  the  Union  Bank  of  London ; 
and  three  for  £1,000  each,  dated  Valparaiso,  December  28th, 
drawn  by  H.  C.  Streeter,  and  accepted  by  the  London  and 
Westminster  Bank.  When  the  bills  left  his  hands  they  were 
all  blank,  and  were  just  as  Messrs.  Waterlow  or  any  other 
firm  might  show  their  customers  as  specimens. 

At  this  stage  the  trial  was  adjourned  until  Monday  morn- 
ing, at  ten  o'clock,  Mr.  Justice  Archibald  observing  that  he 
was  sorry  the  jury  had  to  be  detained  over  a  Sunday.  The 
foreman  expressed  a  hope  that  they  might  be  allowed  to 
attend  divine  service  together,  and  the  judge  said  there  was 
no  objection  to  that  if  it  could  be  arranged.  The  jury  were 
then  taken  as  before  to  the  City  Terminus  Hotel  in  Cannon 
Street. 


Chapter  XXXIV. 


THE  TRIAL  CONTINUED  —  SEVENTH  DAY,  MONDAY,  AUGUST  25TH — TSaLLIAM 
MITCHELL,  DIE-SINKER  AND  STAMP-CUTTER,  BELL  ALLEY,  CROSS-EXAMINED 
BY  GEORGE  BID  WELL  —  MR.  GEORGE  BOOLE  CHALONER,  MASTER  PRINTER, 
TESTIFIES  —  WILLIAM  CHESHIRE,  ENGRAVER,  PATERNOSTER  ROW,  DOES  FANCY- 
WORK  FOR  GEORGE  BIDWELL — ^"OTHER  WITNESSES  CROSS-EXAMINED  BY  GEORGE 
BID  WELL  —  JAMES  DALTON,  A  DEAF  AND  DUMB  ENGRAVER,  IS  EXAMINED  — 
THE  BIDWELL  COAT-OF-ARMS — A  POLICE  CONSTABLE  AND  A  LONDON  DETECT- 
IVE SERGEANT  IN  THE  WITNESS  BOX  —  A  SCOTCH  BOARDING-HOUSE  MISTRESS 
RECOGNIZES — MORE  DETECTIVE  TESTIMONY  —  A  GLASGOW  FELLOW-PASSENGER 
ON  THE  ''LUCITANIA"  —  MR.  CHARLES  CHABOT,  THE  EXPERT  IN  HANDWRITING, 
TESTIFIES  —  ANOTHER   HOTEL- WAITER   GIVES   EVIDENCE. 

THE  case  for  the  prosecution  was  resumed  on  Monday 
morning.     The    interest    of   the    public    continued  un- 
abated, and  there  was  no  standing-room  unoccupied. 

William  Mitchell,  a  die-sinker  and  stamp-cutter  in  Bell 
Alley,  Moorgate  Street,  was  called.  He  said  he  remembered 
the  prisoner,  George  Bid  well,  coming  to  his  shop  in  November 
last,  and  giving  an  order  for  an  endorsement-stamp.  On  the 
bill  produced  for  <£  1,000  there  was  an  impression  from  the 
die  which  he  cut  for  the  prisoner.  Being  cross-examined  by 
the  prisoner,  George  Bidweli,  in  the  temporary  absence  of  his 
counsel,  the  witness  gave  reasons  for  believing  the  stamp  on 
the  bill  was  that  from  the  die  he  cut  for  him,  and  that  Bid- 
well  was  the  man  who  brought  him  the  order.  The  man  had 
then  no  whiskers,  but  he  had  a  mustache.  The  words  were 
cut  in  very  ordinary  block  letters,  and  there  were  similar 
letters  in  type.  He  had  very  little  doubt  that  the  words  in 
question  could  be  printed  in  ordinary  type,  but  it  was  impos- 
sible to  fit  up  words  of  the  same  dimensions,  having  regard 
to  the  relative  distances,  in  the  same  way  witness's  stamp  was 
fitted  up.     Supposing  the  stamp  had  been  lost,  another  could 

(855) 


356 


TWO  SHILLINGS   ON  ACCOUNT. 


have  been  made,  but  the  engraver  would  have  required  some- 
thing to  guide  him  as  to  the  relative  distances  of  the  letters. 
Mr.  George  Boole  Chaloner,  one  of  the  late  firm  of  Nelson 
&  Co.,  of  Oxford  Arms-Passage,  Paternoster  Row,  said  he 
knew  the  prisoner,  George  Bid  well.  He  first  saw  him  on  the 
9th  of  December  last.     The  prisoner  then  called  and  gave 


BANK-NOTE    STORE-ROOM,  BANK    OF    ENGLAND.     ' 

him,  without  any  name,  an  order  for  an  electro-plate  to  be 
copied  from  a  paper  he  produced.  Witness  was  ordered  to 
set  it  up  in  tpye,  from  which  an  electro-plate  was  to  be  made. 
The  prisoner  gave  no  name  or  address,  but  paid  two  shillings 
on  account.  Nothing  further  passed  on  that  occasion.  Wit- 
ness afterwards  executed  the  order,  mounted  the  plate  on  a 


TESTIMONY   OF  A    TYPO.  357 

piece  of  wood,  and  then  took  a  proof  from  it.  In  correcting 
the  proof  he  made  an  alteration  of  a  single  letter.  A  few 
days  afterwards  the  prisoner,  George  Bidwell,  called  for  the 
stamp,  and  witness  gave  it  to  him,  with  some  printing-ink,  for 
which  he  asked,  and  some  brass  rules  from  which  lines  could 
be  printed.  Witness  did  not  then  know  the  prisoner's  name 
or  address.  He  saw  him  again  on  January  28th,  when  he 
brought  witness  four  forms  of  bills  of  exchange,  which  he 
wished  to  be  imitated  as  nearly  as  possible  with  type  which 
he  selected.  This  was  executed,  and  fifty  copies  of  it  were 
printed,  the  bill  forms  being  left  with  witness  meanwhile. 
One  of  them  was  headed  "  Calais,"  and  that  was  executed. 
The  prisoner  had  corrected  the  proof  of  that  one,  after  which 
a  few  impressions  were  taken.  He  selected  six  scrolls  from 
a  specimen-book,  arid  took  four  of  them  away.  The  prisoner 
called  at  various  times  until  nearly  the  end  of  February.  In 
December  witness  had  a  conversation  with  him  about  lithog- 
raphy. The  prisoner  produced  some  lithograph  forms  of 
bills,  and  asked  witness  if  he  knew  any  lithographer  in  the 
neighborhood.  Witness,  in  reply,  mentioned  the  name  of 
Straker  of  Ivy  Lane.  On  January  28th  the  prisoner  paid  a 
sovereign  on  account,  and  gave  the  name  J.  R.  Nelson,  add- 
ing that  he  was  staying  at  Brighton.  Witness  being  now 
shown  a  batch  of  forged  bills,  said  he  found  on  them  all  an 
impression  of  the  German  endorsement-stamp  he  had  cut  for 
George  Bidwell.  (Mr.  Poland  said  that  included  the  bill 
mentioned  in  the  indictment.)  The  device  in  the  corner  of 
one  of  the  forged  bills  produced,  witness  said  was  printed 
from  an  impression  of  the  bill  forms  he  had  set  up  for  the 
prisoner.  It  was  a  bill  for  £900,  drawn  at  Amsterdam,  in 
January  last.  Being  cross-examined  by  the  prisoner,  George 
Bidwell,  witness  said  his  place  of  business  was  not  far  from 
Straker's,  in  Ivy  Lane,  and  that  he  (Bidwell)  was  the  man 
who  gave  the  name  of  Nelson.  Witness  did  not  see  him  at 
Straker's.  He  next  saw  him  (Bidwell)  at  the  Mansion  House, 
as  he  was  being  put  to  the  bar  of  the  justice-room.      The 


358  ^^^^   FINGER   ALPHABET  EMPLOYED. 

impressions  on  the  forged  bills  were  so  like  those  of  the  plate 
ones  made  for  the  prisoner  that  even  a  mistake  was  imitated, 
if  it  was  an  imitation.  They  appeared  to  be  impressions  from 
the  type  which  witness  set  up.  The  mistake  was  in  German, 
and  witness,  not  being  acquainted  with  German,  did  not  per- 
ceive it  at  the  time.  The  form  was  set  up  in  type,  the  like  of 
which  could  have  been  procured  from  any  other  printing-office. 

William  Cheshire,  an  engraver  in  Paternoster  Row,  said 
he  knew  the  prisoner,  George  Bidwell,  and  saw  him  at  his 
shop  between  December  and  February.  He  came  in  Decem- 
ber, and  gave  an  order  for  some  lettering  for  the  names  of 
various  Continental  towns,  and  wished  them  done  in  fancy 
type,  including  Amsterdam,  Lubeck,  Bremen,  Hamburg,  Ber- 
lin, and  others.  A  drawing  Avas  prepared  with  that  view,  and 
submitted  to  George  Bidwell.  Witness  afterwards  executed 
it,  and  Bidwell  called  and  took  the  blocks  away,  paying  for 
them,  and  giving  the  name  "  Bohn."  Witness  did  other  work 
for  the  prisoner,  and  now  produced  twenty-five  impressions 
from  the  stamps  he  cut  for  him.  In  cross-examination  wit- 
ness said  any  other  engraver  could  have  executed  similar 
work  with  perhaps  few  small  differences.  Replying  to  ques- 
tions by  George  Bidwell,  he  said  he  first  saw  him  (Bidwell) 
after  his  arrest  at  a  cell  in  the  Mansion  House.  The  pris- 
oner was  first  brought  from  his  cell  and  shown  him,  he  being 
asked  to  take  off  his  cap,  and  no  other  prisoner  being  present. 
Witness  said  he  recognized  him  in  a  moment,  though  he 
looked  ill,  and  his  appearance  was  changed.  That  was  about 
four  months  after  having  first  ^cen  him.  He  had  not  the 
smallest  doubt  the  prisoner,  George  Bidwell,  was  the  man. 

Mr.  James  Dalton  was  next  called.  He  was  quite  deaf 
and  partly  dumb,  and  had  in  consequence  to  be  examined 
through  an  interpreter  by  the  aid  of  the  finger  alphabet.  He 
was  an  engraver  and  wood-cutter  at  21  Paternoster  Row,  of  the 
firm  of  Carter  &  Dalton.  During  last  November  he  first  saw 
the  prisoner,  George  Bidwell.  On  the  4th  of  December  the 
prisoner  called  and  showed  him  two  pieces  of  paper  with 


TECHNICALITIES.  359 

scrolls  on  them.     On  December  7th  he  gave  witness  an  order 
to  print  the  words  "  London  and  Westminster  Bank,"  and  for 
some  Dutch  lettering.     On  the  9th  he  had  an  order  from  him 
for  the  words  "  Hamburg  Banking  Co.,"  and  "  Paid  " ;  and 
he  identified  a  forged  bill,  part  of  which  he  said  was  printed 
from  one  of  his  blocks.     On  the  6th  of  January  he  received 
an  order  for  an  acceptance  block  in  the  name  of  "  Smith, 
Payne  &  Smiths,"  and  he  identified  a  proof  taken  from  the 
block  which  he  had  executed  for  George  Bidwell.     From  time 
to  time,  he  said,  George  Bidwell  gave  him  pieces  of  paper 
from  which  he  was  to  print.     The  prisoner,  when  he  called, 
communicated  with  the  witness  by  writing  on  slips  of  paper, 
and  the  witness  produced  some  of  the  original  writing  from 
which  he  had  to  engrave.     The  prisoner  took  some  pains,  on 
his  visits,  to  make  witness  understand  the  German  lettering. 
He  gave  one  order  on  December  7th,  which  witness  handed 
to  another  person  to  execute,  because  it  was  in  Dutch  letter- 
ing.    Witness  put  in  an  authentic  list  of  the  work  he  did, 
from  which  it  appeared  that  each  of  the  forged  bills  had  upon 
it  some  of  the  work  he  had  done  for  the  prisoner.     Witness, 
in  cross-examination,  said  he  could  fix  the  dates  on  which  the 
work  was  done  by  him  for  the  prisoner.     The  order,  "  London 
and  Westminster  Bank,"  he  said  was  given  on  the  7th  Decem- 
ber.    He  pointed  out  peculiarities  in  the  forged  bills  by  which 
he  identified   work   he  had  executed  for  the  prisoner,  and 
explained  that  it  ought  to  have  been  done  in  brass  instead 
of  wood,  in  which  he  was  asked  to  do  it,  for  in  brass,  he  said, 
the  lettering  would  have  been  sharper  and  more  defined.     He 
said  he  cut  a  great  many  dates  and  numbers,  running  through 
a  month,  but  they  were  all  separate.     Witness  went  into  other 
details  in  answer  to  questions,  but  they  were  mostly  technical 
and  uninteresting.     Replying  to  Mr.  Giffard,  witness  recog- 
nized the  order  in  writing  he  gave  to  Mr.  Evans,  another 
eno:raver,  to  be  executed  for  him.     It  was  of  a  technical 
nature. 

Mr.  George  Henry  Evans,  a  wood  engraver  at  Newport 


860 


HERALDR Y 


Farringdon  Street,  was  called,  and  recognized  the  written 
order  Mr.  Dalton  gave  him  for  some  work  on  December 
7th,  and  he  produced  a 'proof  impression  from  one  of  the 
blocks  he  cut  for  him.  Being  shown  some  of  the  forged 
bills,  he  said  he  recognized  the  impression  of  an  endorse- 
ment made  from  the  engraving  he  cut. 

Mr.  George  E.  Russell  proved  that  in  September  last,  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  Messrs.  Wyon,  engravers.  He  remem- 
bered the  prisoner  George  Bidwell  coming  to  them  at  the 
latter  end  of  August,  and  giving  an  order  for  some  address 
cards  in  name  "  George  Bidwell."  He  afterward  brought 
a  seal  to  be  engraved  with  a  monogram  and  a  coat-of-arms. 
He  had  asked  witness  to  look  into  an  heraldic  work  for  the 
name  "  Bidwell."  Witness  found  several  persons  of  that 
name,  and  the  prisoner  selected  the  arms  of-  one  which  he 
instructed  him  to  engrave  on  the  seal,  and  also  to  make  a 
painting  on  vellum.  He  gave  two  addresses,  one  being  No.  1 
Langham  Street,  and  the  other,  Hotel  de  I'Europe,  Havre. 
Witness  afterward  received  a  letter  from  him  abroad,  dated 
December  13th,  from  the  Grand  hotel  de  Paris,  Trouville, 
requesting  him  to  send  the  seal  there.  The  seal  was  engraved 
"with  the  monogram  on  the  one  side,  and  the  coat  of  arms  on 
the  other,  and  he  sent  them  to  him  in  a  registered  letter, 
receiving  afterwards,  a  written  acknowledgment   from  him. 

Jonathan  Pope,  a  city  police  constable,  proved  that  on  the 
first  of  March,  the  prisoner  Noyes  was  given  into  his  custody 
at  the  Continental  Bank  in  Lombard  Street,  and  that  he  found 
on  him  at  the  police  station  a  check  for  £100  on  that  bank 
(drawn  by  C.  J.  Horton,  payable  to  self  or  order,  and  endorsed 
by  Horton),  <£110  in  bank-notes,  and  a  case  containing  papers 
which  he  afterwards  handed  to  Sergeant  Spittle.  The  pris- 
oner was  transacting  business  at  the  time  at  the  counter  of  the 
bank,  and  his  first  exclamation  was  that  witness  had  no  right 
to  take  him  without  a  warrant. 

John  Spittle,  a  city  detective  sergeant,  proved  that  he  told 
the  prisoner  Noyes,  on  the  day  of  his  arrest,  that  he  had  given 


OF  FRENCH  PARENTAGE.  35^ 

an  address  at  Durant's  Hotel,  although  he  had  left  that  hotel 
three  weeks  ago.  The  prisoner  afterwards  said  that  he  had 
no  settled  address.  He  added,  if  he  had  an  opportunity,  that 
he  might  find  Horton.  He  was  eventually  charged  and  exam- 
ined before  the  Lord  Mayor,  when  he  explained  that  the  rea- 
son for  giving  his  address  Durant's  Hotel  was  that  Horton 
had  told  him  to  go  back  there.  Witness  then  spoke  of  having, 
with  Sergeant  Smith,  brought  the  prisoner  George  Bidwell  to 
London  from  Edinburgh,  after  he  had  been  arrested  there  by 
the  deceased  witness  M'Kelvie.  On  being  asked  if  he  were  a 
naturalized  American,  he  begged  to  be  excused  answering  the 
question,  and  it  was  not  pressed.  At  the  police  station  in  Lon- 
don, on  being  asked  his  name,  he  said  he  would  rather  not  give 
it  at  that  time.  He  gave  an  address  in  Cumberland  Street, 
Edinburgh,  but  without  any  number.  Witness  produced  copies 
of  the  daily  Telegraph.,  from  the  6th  to  the  11th  of  January 
last,  containing  an  advertisement  of  Xoyes  for  a  situation  of 
trust  or  partnership,  "  in  a  light  business,  and  requiring  a 
capital  of  not  more  than  c£300."  Witness  in  cross-examina- 
tion by  Mr.  Ribton,  produced  a  bundle  of  letters  addressed  to 
the  prisoner  Xoyes  in  reply  to  that  advertisement.  In  re-ex- 
amination, he  produced  several  envelopes  and  letters  which  he 
had  found  on  Noyes,  some  of  them  addressed.  Terminus  Hotel, 
London,  Room  No.  6,  some  addressed  Durant's  Hotel,  Man- 
chester Square. 

Mrs.  Ann  Laverock,  of  22  Cumberland  Street,  London, 
recognized  the  prisoner  George  Bidwell  as  a  person  to  whom 
she  let  lodgings  on  the  11th  of  March  last,  he  giving  the  name 
of  Coutant.  He  brought  a  portmanteau,  and  said  he  had 
come  from  Rotterdam,  and  had  been  seasick  on  crossing. 
She  asked  if  he  were  a  Frenchman.  He  answered  in  the  neg- 
ative, but  said  that  his  parents  were  French.  He  staid  in  her 
house  till  the  2d  of  April. 

David  Ferguson,  a  detective  police  officer  in  Edinburgh, 
proved  that  he  searched  George  Bidwell's  lodgings  there  after 
his  arrest,  and  found,  among  other  things,  a  letter  which  he 


3^2  ^^  EXPERT  BLUNDERER. 

handed  over  to  the  police  authorities.  He  also  found  on  his 
person  a  quantity  of  jewelry,  diamonds,  and  a  sum  of  money. 

Michael  Hayden,  a  city  detective  sergeant,  deposed  that  he 
went  to  Havana  about  the  13th  of  April,  and  saw  the  prisoner 
Austin  Bidwell  there.  He  was  subsequently  given  into  the 
charge  of  witness  and  Sergeant  Green,  and  brought  to  Eng- 
land. He  found  on  him  six  American  bonds  for  $1,000  each, 
two  for  ^500  each,  one  for  '^100,  and  some  money  and  jew- 
elry. Before  he  went  to  Havana,  witness  searched  McDon- 
ald's luggage,  and  found  a  letter  to  him  from  Austin  Bidwell. 

Mr.  Sam.  Wilson  Robinson,  said  that  he  lived  in  Glas- 
gow, and  in  the  course  of  May,  1872,  he  took  a  voyage  to 
South  America,  in  the  steamer  Lucitania.  The  prisoner 
George  Bidwell  was  among  his  fellow  passengers. 

Mr.  Charles  Chabot,  the  expert,  said  that  he  had  examined 
several  documents  proved  to  be  in  the  handwriting  of  Austin 
Bidwell,  including  his  name  in  the  signature  books  of  the 
Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England,  and  the  Continental 
Bank,  various  credit  slips,  and  several  letters  to  Col.  Francis. 
Taking  into  his  hand  the  forged  bill  upon  which  the  present 
indictment  is  framed,  and  other  bills,  he  said  the  indorse- 
ments "  F.  A.  Warren  "  upon  them  were  in  the  same  hand- 
writing. The  letters  found  in  McDonald's  luggage  and  signed 
"  Austin  "  were  also  written  by  him.  The  signatures  to  the 
checks  "  F.  A.  Warren  "  and  "  C.  J.  Horton  "  were  undoubt- 
edly in  his  handwriting.  [A  fine  "  expert "  !  I  wrote  all 
those  signatures  of  Warren  and  Horton  myself,  except  one. 
—  G.  B.]  He  had  also  looked  at  some  insurance  slips,  and  a 
receipt  for  a  check  given  by  Messrs.  Morgan  &  Co.,  which  had 
been  proved  to  be  in  McDonald's  handwriting.  He  believed 
the  body  of  the  bill  for  <£  1,000  (the  subject  of  indictment), 
and  the  signature  to  it,  "  H.  C.  Streeter,"  and  the  letter  to 
Mr.  de  Wael,  a  banker  in  Holland,  signed  "F.  A.  Warren," 
and  dated  November  30,  1872,  were  written  by  McDon- 
ald. He  had  likewise  seen  a  large  number  of  letters  writ- 
ten by  George  Bidwell,  admitted  to  be  in  his  handwriting. 


MR.  PYE    CASHES   A    CHECK.  363 

The  signature  "  H.  J.  Spaulding,"  to  one  of  the  bills,  was  with- 
out doubt  written  by  the  same  person,  as  was  also  the  filling 
up  of  two  forged  bills  on  the  Bank  of  Belgium  and  Holland. 
The  letters  to  Col.  Francis,  dated  from  Birmingham,  between 
the  24th  of  January  and  the  27th  of  February  last,  purporting 
to  come  from  F.  A.  Warren,  and  containing  most  of  the  forged 
bills,  were  all  written  by  George  Bidwell.  Tlie  same  observa- 
tion applied  to  the  body  of  the  checks  on  the  Western  Branch 
of  the  Bank  of  England,  while  the  indorsements  to  those 
checks  were  for  the  most  part  in  the  handwriting  of  George 
McDonald.  He  had  also  examined  various  letters  to  different 
persons  in  America,  and  he  believed  that  they  were  all  writ- 
ten by  George  Bidwell.  Looking  at  the  credit-slips  in  the 
Continental  Bank,  signed  by  Noyes  on  behalf  of  C.  J.  Horton, 
the  agreement  proved  to  have  been  executed  by  him,  and  a 
letter  signed  "  Ed.",  enclosing  a  draft  for  X1,000  to  a  relative 
in  America,  he  expressed  his  conviction  that  they  were  all  in 
the  handwriting  of  Noyes,  as  were  also  the  bodies  of  the  vari- 
ous checks  on  the  Continental  Bank.  The  telegram  from 
''  Spaulding,  Langham  Hotel,"  to  "  Edward  Hills,  Clarendon 
Hotel,  New  York,"  was  in  George  Bidwell's  handwriting,  and 
that  from  George  McDonald  to  "  E.  N.  Hills,  St.  Denis  Hotel, 
New  York,"  was  in  that  of  McDonald's.  Replying  to  Mcln- 
tyre,  the  witness  said  he  had  had  no  assistance  from  other 
experts  in  making  that  investigation.  He  believed  all  the 
signatures  to  the  checks  of  the  Western  Branch  of  the  Bank 
of  England  had  been  written  by  Warren  (A.  B.)  at  one  sit- 
ting. He  had  seen  altogether  about  one  hundred  and  forty 
bills  all  bearing  the  indorsement  "  F.  A.  Warren."  Some  of 
those  indorsements  were  in  Austin  Bidwell's  handwriting,  but 
the  great  majority  of  them  were  not.  The  signatures  "  C.  J. 
Horton  "  to  the  checks  on  the  Continental  Bank  were  all  in 
the  handwriting  of  Austin  Bidwell,  and  were,  he  should  say, 
written  at  one  time.     [I  wrote  them  myself. —  G.  B.] 

Mr.  Chas.  Anthony  Pye,  a  clerk  in  the  Western  Branch, 
proved  that  on  the  17th  of  January  last,  he  cashed  a  check  for 


364  ^^  ^^^^  ^^  BUSINESS. 

Xl,500,  signed  by  "  F.  A.  Warren,"  across  the  counter,  giving 
in  exchange  ten  notes  for  <£100  each,  and  one  for  XoGO. 
(Some  of  these  notes  were  afterwards  changed  into  foreign 
money  at  Messrs.  Bamn's  by  George  Bidwell.) 

Peter  Steinmayer,  a  waiter  at  the  Cannon  Street  Hotel, 
deposed  that  he  recognized  the  prisoner  Noyes,  who  occupied 
a  room  there  from  January  30th  to  February  28th.  He  knew 
him  by  the  name  of  Horton.  He  used  to  come  three  or  four 
times  a  week  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  stay  on  each  occa- 
sion about  half  an  hour.  No  books  were  kept  in  the  room, 
and  there  was  no  sign  of  any  business  being  transacted.  Mr. 
Giffard,  Q.  C,  said  that  would  be  the  case  for  the  prosecution. 
At  this  point,  the  court  having  sat  seven  hours,  the  trial  was 
adjourned  until  next  day.  The  jury  as  before,  was  taken  to 
the  City  Terminus  Hotel. 


Chapter  XXXV. 


THE  TRIAL  CONTINUED  —  EIGHTH  AND  LAST  DAY,  TL^ESDAT,  AUGUST  26tH  —  AN 
AFFECTING  LETTER  —  NOTES  TRIES  TO  SAVE  THE  OLD  HOMESTEAD  —  HE  LIKES 
TO  STAY  IN  EUROPE! — A  LETTER  OF  CONDOLENCE  —  MY  LETTERS  FROM  ED- 
INBURGH—  THE  CASE  FOR  THE  PROSECUTION  CLOSED  —  MR.  METCALF, 
Q.  C,  TAKES  A  FORMAL  OBJECTION,  WHICH  IS  OVERRULED  —  MR.  GIFFARD, 
Q.  C,  SUMS  UP  THE  EVIDENCE  ON  THE  PART  OF  THE  PROSECUTION  —  McDON- 
ALD'S  STATEMENT  TO  THE  JURY— GEORGE  BIDWELL'S  REMARKS  CUT  SHORT 
BY  JUDGE  ARCHIBALD  —  MR.  McINTIRE'S  PLEA  FOR  AUSTIN  BIDWELL  —  MR. 
RIBTON  ADDRESSES  THE  JURY  ON  BEHALF  OF  NOYES  —  JUDGE  ARCHIBALD 
SUMS  UP  — JURY  RETIRES— BRING  IN  A  VERDICT  OF  "  GUILTY  " —AUSTIN  BID- 
WELL  EXONERATES  THE  BANK  MANAGER  —  LAST  APPEAL  OF  THE  PRISONERS  — 
SENTENCED    FOR   LIFE. 

THIS  was  the  most  interesting  day  in  a  trial  of  unprece- 
dented interest.  The  court-room  of  the  Old  Bailey 
was  packed,  and,  as  on  other  occasions,  the  lobbies  were 
filled  and  a  crowd  in  the  street  waiting  in  the  hope  of  eventu- 
ally obtaining  admission.  Many  of  the  nobility  and  gentry 
were  present. 

Mr.  Giffard,  Q.  C,  put  in  several  letters  written  by  the 
prisoners,  and  they  were  read  by  Mr.  Read,  the  deputy  clerk 
of  arraigns.  The  first  was  written  by  Noyes  to  a  brother  in 
America,  enclosing  a  letter  of  credit  for  <£  1,000  obtained  by 
him  on  January  29th  from  Messrs.  Baring  Brothers : 

London,  January  29,  1873. 

Dear  Brother  J ,  —  I  have  this  day  registered  a  letter  to 

you  containing  £1,000  sterling,  which  you  will  collect  to  the  best 
advantage.  The  bankers  v/ill  charge  from  one-eighth  to  one-quarter 
per  cent,  for  collection.  There  is  a  premium  on  London  Exchange. 
Before  collecting  it  post  yourself  as  to  exchange,  so  that  they  will 
not  charge  you  exorbitant  rates.  On  it  you  will  get  two  premiums 
—  that  on  London,  and  the  difference  between  the  value  of  gold  and 

(365) 


366  TEE   SON  AND   BROTHER. 

greenbacks.  I  think  it  will  amount  to  about  $5,500  ;  I  cannot  tell 
exactly,  but  do  the  best  you  can.     After  you  collect  it  carry  $1,400 

over  to  C to  pay  S $750;   he  will   also   pay  that  bond 

of  $600  that  father  owes  H K for  that  woodland.     The 

bond  is  indorsed  by  J McL ,  so  you  will  see  that  K will 

sicken  at  the  prospect  of  getting  a  hold  of  our  homestead.  The 
bond  in  Pratt  Street  let  remain  until  my  return.  Take  $250 
yourself,  to  buy  your  wife  a  $150  sewing  machine  and  other  things 
as  a  present  from  me.  Do  not  let  anyone  else  know  but  that  you 
bought  them  yourself.  Also,  deduct  your  expenses  to  go  to  Spring- 
field and  out  home.     Also,  hand  Robert  C $50  if  he  should  want 

it  as  a  loan.  Take  a  receipt  for  it,  to  be  paid  to  father  when  conven- 
ient, if  I  am  not  at  home.  The  balance  you  may  place  to  my 
account  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Hartford,  subject  to  be 
drawn  by  my  sister  in  case  of  accident  to  me,  or  death,  or  a  longer 
absence  than  six  months.     Make  it  draw  interest.     If  they  will  not 

give  interest,  put  it  into  the  ^tna  Bank.     H will  introduce  you. 

I  am  trying  to  persuade  a  friend  of  mine,  an  English  gentleman,  to 
go  to  America  and  enter  business.  If  1  succeed  it  will  perhaps 
throw  us  together.  It  is  not  certain  when  I  shall  return  to  Amer- 
ica. These  Englishmen  are  such  sticklers  for  country  it  is  hard  to 
start  them.  I  confess  that  I  am  beginning  to  like  to  stay  in  Eu- 
rope. [Poor  fellow!  He  is  staying  abroad  longer  than  he  likes. — 
G.  B.]     More  anon.  Yours  ever,  Ed. 

The  following  letters  were  written  by  George  Bid  well  shortly 
after  his  escape  from  Ireland,  while  in  hiding  at  Edinburgh : 

Edinbuegh,  March  13,  1873. 

Dear  M.,  —  Your  friend  has  had  a  series  of  the  most  extraor- 
dinary adventures  since  you  saw  him;  a  hell's  chase,  and  no  mis- 
take. His  nerve  has  stood  him  through  two  taps  on  shoulder  and 
several  encounters  with  detectives.  He  has  been  a  Fenian,  a  priest, 
a  professor,  a  Frenchman,  a  German,  a  Russian,  who  could  speak 
only  a  '^  veree  leetle  Englese,  mais  un  peude  Frangaiset  Allemand," 
and  a  deaf  and  dumb  man  with  a  slate  and  pencil  —  all  in  the  space 
of  a  week. 

March  18. 

It  made  me  nearly  sick  to  read  what  I  enclose.  [Alluding  to 
what  I  saw  in  the  papers,  shovv^ing  how  our  real  names  had  trans- 


THE  LAST    WITNESS.  3^7 

pired,  through  my  plans  in  the  way  of  precautions  not  having  been 
executed  as  I  all  along  supposed. — G.  B.]  It  is  all  right  as  long  as 
I  keep  inland,  but  the  moment  I  touch  the  borders  there  is  the 
devil  to  pay.  I  ran  through  an  awful  gauntlet  last  week  in  Ireland. 
Who  would  have  dreamed  they  could  have  got  on  track  so  soon  as 
that!  There  was  a  job  put  up  from  Hastings,  and  I  had  a  hard  rub 
at  Cx  [meaning  Charing  Cross].  I  am  delaying,  as  every  day 
changes  my  appearance.  Of  course  it  is  impossible  to  say  what 
move  or  when  1  shall  make  one,  but  my  present  opinion  is  that  I 
shall  be  in  London  when  this  reaches  you.  The  telegraph,  and  I 
suspect  the  post  also,  is  an  open  book  for  these  parties.  I  suppose 
they  have  procured  special  permit.  Therefore,  do  not  on  any 
account  use  the  telegraph. 

Mr.  Albert  Gearing,  proprietor  of  the  Terminus  Hotel, 
London  Bridge,  who  was  called  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Ribton, 
proved  that  the  prisoner,  Austin  Bidwell,  in  the  name  of  C.  J. 
Horton,  hired  on  the  11th  of  January  last  a  sitting-room  in 
his  hotel,  and  that  he  subsequently  introduced  the  prisoner 
Noyes  as  his  clerk.     The  room  was  kept  until  February  21st. 

That  was  the  case  for  the  prosecution.  A  formal  objection 
was  taken  by  Mr.  Metcalf ,  Q.  C,  on  the  part  of  McDonald,  that 
it  had  not  been  proved,  in  conformity  with  the  Extradition 
Act,  that  the  crime  with  which  he  was  now  charged  was  that 
for  which  his  surrender  was  obtained  in  America,  but  it  was 
overruled  by  the  judge. 

Mr.  Giffard,  Q.  C,  then  summed  up  the  evidence  adduced 
on  the  part  of  the  prosecution.  He  said  he  was  entitled, 
under  recent  statute,  to  elicit  from  his  learned  friends  on  the 
other  side,  whether  they  intended  to  call  witnesses  or  not, 
and  they  having  informed  him  that  they  were  not  about  to 
present  any  further  evidence  to  the  jury,  it  became  his  duty 
to  close,  with  a  few  remarks,  the  case  which  he  had  presented 
to  their  decision.  It  was  clear  as  a  matter  of  law  that  if  the 
particular  bill  which  they  were  now  discussing  was  forged 
and  uttered  in  pursuance  of  a  common  design  and  scheme 
participated  in  by  all  the  prisoners,  all  of  them  were  equally 
guilty,  though  only  one  of  them  actually  traced  the  signature 


368  APOLOGY    FOR   COLONEL  FRANCIS. 

upon  it.  The  question,  therefore,  for  the  jury  was  whether 
all  or  any  of  the  prisoners  had  participated  in  a  design  to  forge 
and  utter  that  among  a  great  many  other  bills.  Although 
the  unity  of  design  comprised,  as  he  urged,  the  whole  of  the 
prisoners,  yet  the  evidence  applicable  to  each  was,  however, 
identical,  for  they  were  all  tainted  with  the  same  guilty 
design.  A  scheme  of  this  character  and  magnitude  was  hap- 
pily very  rare,  if  not  quite  unknown,  in  this  country ;  for  it 
was  incredible  that  persons  like  the  prisoners  should  have 
sought  to  taint  the  whole  currency  of  commerce  in  this  coun- 
try by  a  portentous  crime  of  this  nature.  The  bank  author- 
ities had  been  twitted  for  being  so  easily  led  into  a  net  of  that 
kind,  but  let  the  jury  consider  what  were  the  circumstances  in 
which  Colonel  Francis,  the  manager  of  the  Western  Branch, 
was  placed.  His  customer  was  a  person  who  pretended  to  be 
conducting  lai^-e  commercial  transactions  in  this  country  and 
all  over  the  Continent,  and  his  bills  were  of  the  highest  pos- 
sible character,  and  were  discounted  and  paid  with  facility. 
If  there  had  been  ever  any  genuine  business  transacted  by 
the  prisoner,  Austin  Bidwell,  let  him  call  witness  to  prove  it; 
but  in  the  absence  of  such  proof,  he  denounced  that  business 
as  one  for  the  mere  manufacture  of  forged  bills,  and  a  device 
to  dispose  of  proceeds.  Genuine  bills  to  the  amount  of  be- 
tween <£  8,000  and  X  9,000  were  first  of  all  discounted  by  the 
Bank  of  England,  and  these  bills,  it  had  been  proved,  were 
purchased  on  the  Continent  by  one  or  other  of  the  prisoners. 
They  not  only  established  the  credit  of  Warren  at  the  bank, 
but  they  served  as  the  models  for  the  forged  bills  which  were 
subsequently  sent  in.  In  the  forged  bill  in  question,  the  form 
upon  which  it  was  written,  and  the  various  stamps  on  its  sur- 
face, were  purchased  by  George  Bidwell.  It  was  filled  in  and 
signed  by  McDonald,  and  it  bore  the  endorsement  of  Austin 
Bidwell  [Austin  was  out  of  England,  and  did  not  put  on  the 
endorsement. —  G.  B.],  to  whose  credit  the  amount  of  the 
discount  was  placed.  It  was  therefore  shown  in  this  one 
instance  alone  that  three  of  the  prisoners  had  been  concerned 


THE  JURY   CAUTIONED.  3^9 

in  forging  and  uttering  the  bill.  <£  65,000  (about  1325,000) 
had  been  expended  by  Noyes  in  the  purchase  of  American 
bonds,  and  £10,000  by  McDonald,  and  the  rest  of  the  money 
had  gone  in  other  directions  —  the  whole  of  it  having  first  been 
withdrawn  from  the  Western  Branch,  then  paid  into  Horton's 
account  at  the  Continental  Bank,  and  subsequently  changed 
from  gold  into  notes,  and  vice  versa.  The  examination  of  the 
witnesses  had  proved  that  Austin  Bidwell  had  left  England 
about  the  18th  of  January,  but  though  absent  he  was  never- 
theless engaged  in  the  fraud,  for  he  was  found  purchasing 
bills  on  the  Continent,  which  served  as  models  for  other 
forged  bills.  [No  bills  purchased  by  him  after  January  18th 
served  as  models  for  forged  bills.  I  supposing  him  to  be  on 
his  way  home,  made  it  necessary  that  his  continued  presence 
on  the  Continent  should  be  concealed  from  me.  It  was  his 
engagement  which  caused  him  to  remain  in  Europe.  —  G.  B.] 
As  to  George  Bidwell,  it  was  proved  beyond  question  that  he 
had  procured  various  stamps  and  plates  from  five  different 
engravers,  and  that  all  those  stamps  appeared  on  the  whole 
of  the  forged  acceptances,  and  that  he  had  written  from  Bir- 
mingham the  letters  to  Col.  Francis  enclosing  bills,  many  of 
which  bore  his  endorsement.  McDonald  had  been  also  shown 
to  have  filled  in  the  bill  forms,  and  forged  the  names  of  the 
drawers  and  acceptors.  Mr.  Giffard  then  referred  to  the  case 
of  the  prisoner  Noyes,  urging  that,  so  far  from  being  an  inno- 
cent clerk,  as  was  alleged,  he  was  one  of  the  most  active  par- 
ticipators in  the  fraud,  and  that,  like  the  others,  he  shared  in 
the  proceeds.  In  conclusion,  he  advised  the  jury  to  receive 
with  great  caution  any  statement  which  the  prisoners,  or  any 
one  of  them,  might  make  as  to  the  innocence  or  guilt  of  the 
rest,  observing  that  it  would  not  be  under  oath,  and  that  the 
person  making  it  would  not  be  exposed  to  any  cross-examina- 
tion, and  could  not  be  interrogated  by  the  court.  [David 
Howell,  our  solicitor,  informed  the  prosecution  of  the  subject 
on  which  McDonald  and  myself  were  intending  to  address 
the  court  and  jury,  thus  enabling  Mr.  Giffard  to  forestall  and 
34 


370  MACS  PLEA  FOB  AUSTIN. 

frustrate  any  effects  our  subsequent  statement  of  facts  might 
have  had  in  favor  of  my  brother  and  Noyes.  —  G.  B.]  He 
asked  the  jury  to  say  by  their  verdict  that  all  the  prisoners 
had  been  engaged  in  one  common  design  to  commit  a  crime, 
the  magnitude  of  which  was  almost  unexampled  in  the  history 
of  this  country. 

Mr.  Metcalf,  Q.  C,  addressing  the  court,  said  he  had 
attended  very  carefully  to  the  whole  case  on  the  part  of 
McDonald,  together  with  the  summing  up  for  the  prosecution, 
and  he  did  not  think  it  would  be  attended  with  any  good 
effect  for  him  to  address  the  jury.  More  than  that,  McDon- 
ald himself  desired  to  make  a  statement  with  the  consent  of 
the  Bench.  Mr.  Besley  made  a  similar  announcement  on  the 
part  of  the  prisoner  George  Bidwell.  The  prisoner  George 
McDonald  then  proceeded  to  address  the  jury,  and  the  whole 
audience  listened  with  deep  attention.     He  said : 

The  statement  I  have  to  make  to  you,  gentlemen  of  the  jury, 
was  alluded  to  towards  the  end  of  Mr.  Giffard's  speech,  and  from 
what  he  said,  I  perceive  he  has  been  informed  or  conceived 
some  idea  himself  as  to  what  it  was  my  intention  to  say. 
He  tells  you  that  any  statement  which  I  can  make  to  you  is 
not  evidence,  and  can  be  received  by  you  only  with  great  cau- 
tion. I  do  not  attempt  to  deny  that,  but  nevertheless,  I  think 
that  my  statement  will  be  supported  by  the  testimony  which 
the  prosecution  has  elicited,  and  that  it  will  merit  at  least  a 
very  careful  consideration  at  your  l^ands.  I  can  easily  con- 
cede that  it  would  be  very  difficult  in  my  case  to  make  any 
difference  whatever,  but  as  I  believe  that  no  person  is  in  a 
position  to  give  a  more  accurate  or  faithful  account  of  this 
whole  business  than  I  am,  I  propose  to  show  you,  that  in  the 
case  of  one  person  at  least,  if  I  cannot  show  it  by  direct  evi- 
dence, it  is  certainly  worthy  of  considerable  attention — I 
mean  the  very  great  probability  of  Austin  Bidwell's  entire 
innocence  in  the  actual  fraud.  My  only  reason  for  making 
this  statement  is  that  the  truth  may  be  known  in  regard  to 
him,  for  I  am  well  aware  that  every  word  I  am  saying  to 


FLATTERING    TO   AMERICAN  ABILITY.  o^^^\ 

you  now  cuts  from  under  my  feet  any  hope  that  I  may  have 
entertamed  for  myself.  It  seems  to  be  the  idea  of  the  prose- 
cution—  an  idea  which  they  have  endeavored  by  every  means 
in  their  power  to  bring  you  to  believe  —  Mr.  Justice  Archi- 
bald, interposing  said  :  "  As  I  understand  you  to  say  that 
what  you  are  now  saying  cuts  away  the  ground  of  any 
defense  from  under  your  own  feet,  I  can  only  allow  you 
to  address  the  court  and  jury  on  your  own  behalf,  and  not 
on  behalf  of  any  other  person.  I  do  not  know  to  whom  you 
are  alluding,  but  each  of  the  prisoners  are  represented  by 
counsel,  and  if  you  propose  to  address  the  jury  on  behalf 
of  any  other  person  beside  yourself,  I  cannot  allow  you." 

McDonald :  I  have  not  the  audacity,  my  lord,  to  appear  as 
counsel  for  any  other  of  the  prisoners.  What  I  intend  to  say, 
is  simply  a  statement  of  facts. 

The  Judge  :  You  can  urge  anything  on  your  own  behalf. 

McDonald:  It  is  on  my  own  behalf,  but  it  is  perfectly 
impossible  to  make  the  statement  I  am  about  to  make  without 
referring  to  the  others.  I  was  saying  that  the  idea  of  the 
prosecution,  which  they  have  endeavored  to  inforce  on  your 
conviction,  is  that  the  original  intention  with  which  Austin 
Bidwell,  George  Bidwell,  and  myself,  came  over  to  this  coun- 
try was  to  perpetrate  this  fraud  on  the  Bank  of  England.  I 
think  if  that  idea  could  be  entertained  it  would  argue  for  us  a 
knowledge  and  a  prescience  something  more  than  men  of  ordi- 
nary ability  and  attainments  could  pretend  to.  It  would  sup- 
pose that  we  were  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  mode  of  doing 
business  in  England,  that  we  knew  some  person  or  other  who 
had  an  account  with  the  Bank  of  England,  that  we  could  by 
some  well-devised  plan  get  sufficiently  into  the  confidence  of 
that  person  to  obtain  from  him  an  introduction  to  the  Bank  of 
England,  and  that  all  the  other  minor  details,  which  have 
been  so  fully  explained  in  the  course  of  this  investigation, 
would  all  work  together  for  our  benefit,  would  all  turn  out 
precisely  as  we  desired,  and  that  in  fact,  nothing  at  all  would 
interfere  to  prevent  the  carrying  out  of  the  fraud.     When  we 


372  CIRCUMSTANCES,   AGAIN, 

first  came  to  England,  it  was  certainly  with  no  such  intention. 
Mr.  Green,  of  Saville  Row,  has  told  you  that  the  opening  of 
the  account  with  the  Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England 
was  an  entire  accident,  and  so  it  was.  That  was  done  on  May 
4th,  and  on  May  28th  we  three  left  England.  We  left  Eng- 
land without  the  slightest  intention  of  returning.  Circum- 
stances occurred  to  induce  us  to  change  our  plans,  and  we 
came  back  two  months  later.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the 
intention  was  to  close  the  account  with  the  Bank  of  England, 
because  it  was  of  no  use.  But  when  we  came  back  to  Eng- 
land it  was  of  considerable  use  and  advantage  to  us  to  cash 
any  bills  that  might  come  to  us. 

We  went  from  England  to  the  Continent,  and  our  inten- 
tion, while  there,  was  to  do  certain  business  between  Vienna 
and  Frankfort-on-the-Main.  Circumstances  arose  while  we 
were  at  Vienna  to  prevent  that  business.  In  the  meantime 
I  was  taken  very  seriously  ill,  and  returned  to  England  for 
the  benefit  of  medical  advice.  George  Bidwell  was  in  Amster- 
dam,  and  he  sent  me  a  bill  drawn  on  Baring  Bros.,  which  I  got 
cashed  myself,  by  which  I  saw  that  the  manner  of  doing  busi- 
ness was  entirely  different  than  in  America. 

As  soon  as  I  saw  how  business  Avas  transacted,  I  sent  a 
telegram  from  the  station  next  adjoining  the  Alexandria 
Hotel,  to  George  Bidwell,  in  Amsterdam,  and  I  stated  in 
that  telegram  that  I  had  made  a  great  discovery.  That  tele- 
gram, I  dare  say,  could  be  found,  but  as  it  would  tend  to  show 
that  the  fraud  could  not  have  been  contemplated  so  early  in 
the  transaction,  it  has  not  been  brought  forward.  In  Amer- 
ica, when  bills  are  presented  at  a  bank  for  discount,  or  when 
acceptances  are  presented,  it  is  the  custom  to  send  them 
round  to  the  persons  accepting,  to  be  what  is  technically 
called  "  initialed,"  in  order  that  their  validity  and  genuine- 
ness may  be  certified.  I  found  that  was  not  the  case  here, 
and  the  result  of  the  discovery  is,  that  I  am  standing  before 
you  to-day. 

Mr.  Pinto,  from  Amsterdam,  has  told  you  that  George 


AUSTIiY'S    WITHDRAWAL.  373 

Bidwell  purchased  bills  drawn  from  Amsterdam  upon  Ham- 
burg, which  bills  a  day  or  two  afterwards  were  sold  again,  and 
others  drawn  upon  London  purchased  with  the  proceeds,  and 
the  bills  so  obtained  were  afterwards  discounted  bv  F.  A. 
Warren.  The  matter  went  on  in  that  way  for  some  time, 
until  the  11th  or  12th  of  January  Austin  Bidwell  went  over 
to  Paris  to  buy  the  bill  on  Messrs.  Rothschild  which  has  been 
so  much  commented  upon  —  that  for  X4,500.  During  this 
voyage  or  journey  to  Paris,  he  met  with  a  very  severe  railroad 
accident,  in  which  one  man  certainly  was  killed  outright,  and 
I  think  two  or  three  more,  and  Austin  Bidwell  had  probably 
as  narrow  an  escape  from  being  smashed  to  pieces  as  any 
man  ever  did.  On  arriving  in  London  he  was  in  such  a  con- 
dition that  it  was  almost  impossible  for  him  to  move.  He 
was  taken  to  a  hotel  and  visited  by  a  physician.  Doctor  Coul- 
son,  w^ho  told  him  he  was  in  very  great  danger  of  being  par- 
alyzed for  life.  On  January  17th,  when  Austin  Bidwell  took 
that  bill  to  the  bank,  I  went  with  him  as  far  as  the  door,  and 
afterwards  helped  him  back  to  my  quarters.  I  think  on  the 
following  day  the  doctor  saw  him,  and  Austin  Bidwell  then 
told  him  it  was  his  intention  to  leave  England  immediately. 
The  doctor  informed  him  that  if  he  intended  to  travel  he 
must  do  so  at  once.  The  evidence  goes  to  show  that  up  to 
this  time  every  preparation  had  been  made  for  the  contem- 
plated fraud.  January  18th  was  Saturday,  and  after  the 
doctor's  interview  with  Austin  Bidwell,  who  was  then  in  my 
room,  he  told  me  that  it  was  his  intention  to  utterly  with- 
draw from  anything  connected  with  this  or  any  other  similar 
matter.  You  can  easily  conceive  that  up  to  this  time  a  great 
deal  of  money  had  been  thrown  away  in  continually  trans- 
ferring the  papers.  The  idea  of  losing  that  money  and  hav- 
ing no  return  for  it  was  very  displeasing,  but  as  Austin 
Bidwell  was  determined  to  leave,  and  did,  I  could  only  let 
him  go.  On  Dr.  Coulson's  advice,  Austin  Bidwell  decided  to 
travel  at  once,  and  he  left  with  me  two  checks,  one  drawn  on 
the  Western  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England,  and  the  other  on 


374  ^^^  PERIL  LED    TO  PENITENCE. 

Harcourts  &  Co.  (Continental  Bank),  to  obtain  the  balance 
of  this  account  and  invest  the  proceeds  in  United  States 
bonds,  which  were  to  be  forwarded  to  him  in  Paris.  These 
two  checks  were  cashed,  and  the  proceeds  left  in  my  hands. 
The  first  forged  bill  was  sent  from  Birmingham  on  January 
21st.  Mr.  Chabot  has  told  you  that  in  his  opinion  the 
endorsement  "  F.  A.  Warren "  on  the  bills  was  in  his  own 
handwriting.  It  was  not.  No  one  knows  that  better  than  I 
do.  My  hand  was  the  one  that  put  the  endorsements  on  the 
forged  bills  of  exchange. 

Mr.  Chabot,  the  expert,  also  says  the  checks  on  which 
the  moneys  were  drawn  from  the  two  banks  were  in  Austin 
Bidwell's  handwriting,  and  were  all  signed  at  one  sitting. 
Several  of  them  were  signed  at  one  sitting  —  I  give  that  credit 
to  Mr.  Chabot  —  but  not  by  Austin  Bidwell.  I  can  refer  you 
in  particular  to  the  check  which  went  to  the  Western  Branch 
of  the  Bank  of  England,  in  which  the  name  of  Horton  was 
misspelled.  It  is  admitted  that  Austin  Bidwell  was  then  on 
the  way  to  Havana.  Mr.  Chabot  does  not  state  positively 
that  these  checks  were  signed  by  Horton;  the  Continental 
Bank  was  perfectly  well  satisfied  that  they  were  signed  by 
Horton,  and  I  think  the  expert  in  that  bank  was  quite  as 
well  able  to  judge  as  Mr.  Chabot  whether  the  signatures  were 
genuine. 

Referring  again  to  the  accident  on  the  Northern  Rail- 
way of  France  —  when  Austin  Bidwell  arrived  at  my  quarters 
in  London,  his  first  statement  to  me  was  this  :  "  Mac,  I  have 
had  as  miraculous  an  escape  from  instant  death  as  perhaps 
any  man  has  ever  experienced."  He  went  on  to  elaborate 
his  sentiments  during  the  accident,  and  wound  up  by  saying 
that  so  deep  an  impression  had  been  made  on  his  mind,  in 
those  few  moments  of  peril,  that  he  should  certainly  have 
nothing  more  to  do  with  whatever  might  affect  his  personal 
convenience,  liberty,  and  happiness  in  this  world,  but  also 
place  in  jeopardy  —  according  to  the  view  from  which  he 
looked  at  it — his  eternal  happiness.     I  think,  gentlemen  of 


QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.  375 

the  jury,  that  this  is  not  a  far-fetched  statement,  but  is  proba- 
bly one  that  will  commend  itself  to  your  attention  as  being 
worthy  of  a  great  deal  of  consideration,  namely,  that  a  man 
of  his  age  could  not  have  so  absolutely  and  entirely  forgotten 
the  sentiments  implanted  in  youth  as  to  be  indifferent  to  such 
a  warning.  For  myself  I  am  willing  to  confess  that,  proba- 
bly from  not  having  gone  through  such  an  ordeal  myself, 
I  gave  the  matter  but  little  attention  for  the  moment;  in 
fact,  I  laughed  at  it  and  at  him ;  but  all  I  could  say  did  not 
change  his  mind,  and  on  the  following  morning  he  left 
England. 

He  left  everything  in  confusion,  as  far  as  this  business 
is  concerned,  and  in  a  state  of  unreadiness.  When  the  first 
bills  were  sent  into  the  bank,  the  intention  only  was  to  recoup 
the  loss  on  the  money  transactions,  and  then  clear  out.  But 
when  the  facility  with  which  they  were  received  and  dis- 
counted was  considered,  it  was  determined  to  carry  the  thing 
farther,  and  to  do  so  it  was  necessary  to  get  up  bills,  have 
printing  done,  and  stamps  made,  and  there  was  very  little  time 
to  do  it  in.  Mr.  Giffard,  in  his  address,  asked  what  was  the 
object  of  the  account.  The  object  was  very  plain.  I  do  not 
propose  to  insult  your  understandings,  gentlemen,  by  saying 
that  a  fraud  was  not  contemplated  at  one  time,  but  you  may 
perhaps  be  inclined  to  believe  that  such  a  statement  as  I  am 
now  making  is  made  only  with  one  motive.  Does  it  redound 
to  my  advantage  ?  does  it  help  to  clear  me  at  all  ?  or  do  I 
state  to  you  anything  that  is  intrinsically  improbable  ?  I 
think  not.  I  have  no  doubt  Mr.  Giffard  has  had  a  great  deal 
of  experience  in  this  sort  of  business,  and  I  dare  say  he  will 
believe  me  when  I  say  men  engaged  in  an  illegitimate  trans- 
action do  not  place  very  much  confidence  in  each  other.  And 
if  there  were  an  intention,  in  spite  of  the  withdrawal  of  one 
party,  still  to  carry  out  the  original  scheme,  it  is  not  likely 
that  party,  after  having  entirely  withdrawn,  should  be  in- 
trusted with  any  confidence  concerning  the  scheme.  He  asks 
who  were  benefited  by  it ;  and  if  he  sifts  the  matter,  I  think 


376  ''DECEIVED  AND  IMPOSED    UPON.'' 

it  could  be  very  easily  explained.  He  said  it  would  be  very 
difficult  to  prove  any  such  statement  as  I  am  now  making, 
which  is  but  the  simple  truth. 

Since  Mr.  Chabot  first  took  upon  himself  the  profession  of 
an  expert,  business  of  this  kind,  like  every  other,  has  made 
very  great  strides.  It  has  become,  as  one  of  the  newspapers 
said,  an  art. 

The  Judge  :  What  business  do  you  mean  ? 

I  mean  fraud,  and  a  very  wretched,  unhappy,  miserable, 
and  contemptible  art  —  it  may  be  to  a  certain  extent  called 
an  art,  nevertheless.  Mr.  Chabot  would  induce  you  to  believe 
that  these  checks  were  left  signed  by  Austin  Bidwell.  I  am 
unwilling  to  allow  that  statement  to  be  left  as  it  was  by  Mr. 
Chabot  on  your  minds,  when  you  come  to  meditate  on  your 
verdict.  My  only  object  is  to  make  as  much  reparation  as 
can  be  done  to  Austin  Bidwell,  who,  in  spite  of  Mr.  Giffard's 
statement  as  to  its  improbability,  has  been  deceived  and  im- 
posed upon,  and  has  had  his  confidence  violated.  If  I  am 
successful  in  pressing  that  view  of  the  case  upon  you,  I  shall 
have  obtained  all  I  can  ask  for.  If  I  am  not  I  can  only  regret 
it,  but  I  ask  when  you  go  to  consider  your  verdict,  to  bear  in 
mind  the  statement  I  have  made,  to  consider  whether  there 
is  anything  intrinsically  improbable  in  it,  and  to  say  whether 
it  is  at  all  likely  that  I  would  stand  up  here  and  through  any 
other  motive  than  the  one  I  have  mentioned,  make  observa* 
tions  which  must  necessarily  be  prejudicial  to  myself.  That 
is  all,  gentlemen,  I  have  to  say  to  you. 

[Although  I  sat  by  McDonald's  side  when  he  made  the 
above  statement,  I  had  forgotten  what  he  said  about  the  date 
of  the  first  conception  of  the  fraud  and  the  opening  of  the 
Warren  account  at  the  Bank  of  England.  What  I  have  said 
in  relation  to  those  events  in  Chapter  XIII,  and  elsewhere, 
was  written  before  I  had  seen  his  statement  in  print.  It  will 
be  seen  that  our  accounts  agree.  —  G.  B.] 

The  prisoner,  George  Bidwell,  addressing  the  jury,  said 
there  was  much  he  could  have  urged  in  his  defense  by  way  of 


AUSTIN'S   COUNSEL  SPEAKS.  377 

comment  on  the  evidence  ;  but,  noth withstanding  that,  feeling 
from  his  sense  of  guilt  in  having  aided  in  carrying  out  the 
forgeries,  it  had  been  his  intention  to  throw  himself  on  the 
mercy  of  the  court.  With  that  view  he  had  prepared  a  state- 
ment; but  after  what  Mr.  McDonald  had  said,  it  would  be 
mere  repetition  in  him  to  attempt  it.  He  confirmed  that 
statement,  which  he  said  was  the  truth  and  nothing  but  the 
truth,  adding  that  Noyes  w^as  never  trusted  by  them,  and 
only  did  what  he  was  told  to  do.  Mr.  Justice  Archibald, 
interposing,  told  the  prisoner,  George  Bidwell,  he  must  con- 
fine himself  to  his  ow^n  defense,  seeing  that  Noyes  was 
defended  by  counsel.  George  Bidwell  said  he  only  wished  to 
lay  the  facts  before  the  court.  Mr.  Justice  Archibald  said  he 
could  have  pleaded  guilty,  in  which  case  he  might  have  been 
called  as  a  witness  and  given  his  evidence  on  oath.  George 
Bidwell  replied  that  he  had  not  beeil  aware  of  that.  Mr. 
Justice  Archibald  said  he  might  have  been  informed  of  it. 

Mr.  Mclntyre,  Q.  C.,  speaking  in  behalf  of  Austin  Bidwell, 
said  he  had  to  contend  that  the  prosecution  had  failed  to 
substantiate  the  charge  preferred  against  his  client.  He 
knew  perfectly  well  that  the  magnitude  of  a  crime  or  the 
seriousness  of  the  consequences  of  a  verdict  of  guilty  would 
never  deter  an  English  jury  from  doing  their  duty  ;  but  he  was 
also  sure  that  they  w^ould  require  in  a  case  of  that  kind  the 
clearest  and  most  indisputable  evidence,  and  failing  to  obtain 
it,  however  suspicious  the  surrounding  circumstances  might 
be,  they  would  acquit  the  prisoner.  He  urged  that  the  evi- 
dence was  utterly  inconsistent  with  the  guilt  of  Austin  Bid- 
well.  A  great  mass  of  evidence  had  been  placed  before  them, 
showing  the  antecedent  connection  of  the  prisoners,  and  a 
vast  number  of  other  circumstances,  but  he  challenged  them 
to  find  any  proof  that,  with  the  bill  in  question,  Austin  Bid- 
well  forged  or  uttered  it,  or  was  even  aware  of  the  forgery. 
They  could  not  convict  him  unless  they  actually  believed  that 
he  was  concerned  in  the  fabrication  of  the  bill,  or  that  it  was 
carried  out  with  his  cognizance  and  connivance.     It  had  been 


378  ^   STRONG  ARGUMENT, 

clearly  proved  that  some  time  in  1872  the  brothers  Bidwell 
and  McDonald  were  living  in  an  obscm^e  neighborhood  in 
London,  and  that  on  paying  a  casual  visit  to  Mr.  Green,  their 
tailor,  in  Saville  Row,  Austin  Bidwell  producing  a  large 
sum  of  money  requested  him  to  take  it  and  keep  it  until  his 
return  from  a  short  journey.  Mr.  Green  hesitated,  and  upon 
his  suggestion  he  introduced  the  prisoner,  unfortunately  for 
him,  to  the  authorities  at  the  Western  Branch,  who  at  once 
agreed  to  open  an  account  with  him.  He  contended  that  at 
that  moment  there  was  no  fraudulent  design  upon  the  bank, 
and  that  to  the  end  of  the  year,  and  even  for  some  time  in 
January  the  transactions  in  respect  to  that  account  were  per- 
fectly honest. 

The  prisoner  left  this  country  on  January  18th,  three  days 
before  the  first  batch  of  forged  bills  arrived  from  Birmingham, 
and  from  that  time  his  personal  connection  with  the  account 
ceased.  Mr.  Mclntyre  complained  that  the  bank  authorities 
had  not  thought  fit  to  make  any  inquiries  at  the  address 
which  the  prisoner  gave  in  London,  and  that  although  pos- 
sessing a  branch  at  Birmingham  they  never  instituted  any 
investigation  as  to  the  solvency  or  to  the  position  of  their  cus- 
tomer, who  represented  himself  to  be  living  there  and  from 
whom  they  were  receiving  almost  daily  large  batches  of  bills. 

It  is  also  inconceivable  that  they  should  without  suspicion 
have  dealt  so  largely  with  a  person  who  only  gave  his  address 
at  the  post-office  in  that  town.  The  prosecution  had  failed 
to  prove  that  Austin  Bidwell  was  ever  at  Birmingham  in  his 
life.  It  had  been  admitted  by  Col.  Francis  that  he  at  first 
believed  all  the  letters  containing  the  bills  to  be  in  Warren's 
handwriting,  and  the  bills  to  bear  his  indorsement,  but  it  has 
since  been  proved  by  Mr.  Chabot  that  nearly  all  those  letters 
and  indorsements  were  written  by  George  and  not  by  Austin 
Bidwell.  He  urged  that  such  was  the  case  in  the  bill  in  ques- 
tion, and  he  asked  the  jury  to  believe  that  Austin  had  never  seen 
either  of  them,  he  being  out  of  England  at  the  time.  It  was 
quite  clear  that  Austin  Bidwell  possessed  money  of  his  own. 


MR.  RIBTON'S  PLEA  FOR  NO  YES.  379 

for  before  any  of  the  forged  bills  were  discounted,  £17,000 
had  passed  through  the  bank  in  respect  of  his  account.  It 
was  thus  that  he  accounted  for  the  possession  of  the  bonds 
and  money  found  at  Havana,  and  for  the  circumstances  that 
his  brother  and  McDonald  sent  him  other  bonds  on  his  jour- 
ney thither.  It  might  be  that  he  was  willing  to  join  in  the 
venture  to  some  extent,  but  it  was  clear  that  after  his  acci- 
dent he  changed  his  mind  and  had  nothing  more  to  do  with 
the  matter.  All  the  stamps  and  blocks  were  purchased  after 
he  left,  and  not  one  of  the  forged  bills  was  presented  while 
he  was  in  the  country.  In  conclusion  Mr.  Mclntyre  made  an 
earnest  appeal  to  the  jury  to  acquit  his  client. 

Mr.  Ribton  followed  on  behalf  of  Noyes,  observing  that 
his  case  differed  entirely  from  that  of  any  other,  and  that 
there  was  not  a  tittle  of  evidence  which  would  warrant  the 
jury  in  convicting  him.  On  December  17th  Xoyes  arrived 
in  Liverpool  from  America  and  went  to  London,  where  he 
inserted  an  advertisement  in  a  newspaper  applying  for  a  situ- 
ation as  a  clerk  or  partner.  The  result  was  that  he  was 
taken  into  the  service  of  the  prisoner,  Austin  Bidwell,  who 
had  assumed  the  name  of  Horton,  and  he  deposited  with  him 
as  security  the  sum  of  £300.  A  formal  agreement  was 
entered  into  on  January  11th  between  the  parties,  and  on  the 
same  day  Horton  took  an  office  at  the  London  Bridge  Hotel, 
and  introduced  Noyes  as  his  clerk.  From  that  time  to  the 
date  of  his  arrest  he  discharged  the  duties  of  his  position,  and 
these  duties  had  special  reference  to  the  paying  in  or  cashing 
of  checks  on  his  master's  account  at  the  Continental  Bank, 
and  the  purchase  of  American  securities. 

The  jury  would  recollect  that  the  fraud  of  the  other  pris- 
oners commenced  in  May  last,  when  the  account  at  the  Bank 
of  England  was  opened — that  between  May  and  November 
they  were  engaged  upon  the  Continent,  in  purchasing  genuine 
bills  as  models,  and  that  the  account  of  Horton  at  the  Conti- 
nental Bank  commenced  on  the  2d  of  December.  All  these 
transactions   happened,   therefore,  before   Noyes    arrived   in 


380  ^^^  JUDGE   SUMS    UP. 

England,  and  he  had  no  knowledge  of  them.  He  was  evi- 
dently acquainted  with  the  other  prisoners,  as  it  was  proved 
that  he  associated  with  them  directly  upon  his  arrival  in 
London,  but  he  was  entirely  ignorant  of  any  fraud  that  was 
in  contemplation,  and  so  he  remained  down  to  the  time  of 
his  arrest.  Not  a  single  fact  has  been  proved  which  would 
lead  to  the  belief  that  he  was  concerned  in  the  forgery, 
but  throughout  the  whole  transaction  he  had  been  the  inno- 
cent dupe  of  the  other  men.  He  admitted  that  his  client 
had  assumed  other  names  than  his  own  but  none  of  them 
had  been  used  to  promote  the  fraudulent  scheme.  There 
was  no  evidence  to  show  that  Noyes  had  any  knowledge 
of  Warren's  account  at  the  Western  Branch  or  that  he 
ever  saw  any  of  the  forged  bills,  and  there  was  good  ground 
for  believing  he  was  kept  in  darkness  on  all  these  points. 
The  jury  might  regard  him  if  they  chose  as  an  adventurer 
who  was  anxious  to  make  money,  but  there  was  not  a  scintilla 
of  evidence  to  show  that  he  had  ever  been  connected  with  the 
forgery.  It  was  perfectly  clear  that  Noyes  had  been  selected 
to  perform  the  part  of  an  innocent  assistant. 

Mr.  Justice  Archibald  in  summing  up  said  the  prisoners 
were  indicted  for  forging  and  uttering  a  bill  of  exchange  for 
£1,000  with  intent  to  defraud.  That  was  the  offense  charged 
against  them,  but  in  the  course  taken  by  the  prosecution  they 
had  laid  before  the  jury  evidence  to  show  that  the  prisoners 
were  all  concerned  in  a  fraudulent  scheme  for  the  purpose  of 
defrauding  the  Bank  of  England.  He  did  not  propose  to 
minutely  go  over  the  evidence  adduced  in  the  case,  because  it 
would  doubtless  be  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  jury,  and  espec- 
ially after  the  statements  of  the  prisoners  George  Bidwell  and 
McDonald  who  had  virtually  admitted  their  guilt.  McDonald 
had  openly  confessed  his  participation  in  the  fraud,  and 
George  Bidwell  had  adopted  his  statement  though  without 
confessing  his  guilt.  As  regards  George  Bidwell,  there  was 
no  doubt  that  he  was  guilty  of  forging  the  bill  in  question 
and  many  others.     The  learned  judge  then  reviewed  the  evi- 


*^  GUILTY."  381 

dence  with  great  care,  with  a  view  to  ascertain  for  the  guid- 
ance of  the  jury  how  far  the  remaining  prisoners  Austin  Bid- 
well  and  Hills  had  been  concerned  in  the  fraud.  He  observed 
that  Austin  Bidwell  had  left  England  in  January,  yet  if  he 
made  arrangements  for  the  forgery  to  be  continued  in  his 
name  he  was  just  as  guilty  as  though  he  had  written  and 
signed  the  bill  himself. 

The  jury  retired  to  consider  their  verdict  shortly  after 
seven  o'clock,  and  on  returning  into  court  after  the  lapse  of 
about  quarter  of  an  hour,  they  gave  in  a  verdict  of  guiltv 
against  all  of  the  four  prisoners. 

On  being  asked  if  they  had  anything  to  say  why  sentence 
should  not  be  passed  upon  them,  Austin  Bidwell  replied  that 
he  had  nothing  to  say  for  himself,  but  that  he  would  take 
advantage  of  the  only  opportunity  he  would  have  to  repair  a 
wrong  he  had  done  to  a  gentleman  then  in  court,  and  for 
which  he  was  extremely  sorry.  He  alluded  to  Col.  Francis, 
manager  of  the  Western  Branch,  hoping  that  as  years  rolled 
on  he  would  forget  the  wrong.  That  gentleman  had  been 
the  subject  of  considerable  criticism,  but  speaking  from  his 
knowledge  of  the  case,  he  would  say  any  other  man  in 
London  would  have  been  deceived  in  the  same  manner. 

George  McDonald  observed  that  he  had  nothing  to  say  of 
the  verdict  as  far  as  he  was  concerned,  but  that  Noyes  was 
ignorant  of  the  forgery,  and  Austin  Bidwell  at  the  time 
out  of  England. 

George  Bidwell  said  he  did  not  ask  any  consideration  for 
himself,  but  he  begged  that  his  brother,  who  was  a  young  man 
and  but  recently  married,  might  be  dealt  with  mercifully. 
Referring  to  the  prisoner  Noyes,  he  said  that  he  had  been 
kept  in  ignorance  of  the  real  state  of  the  affairs. 

Noyes,  addressing  the  court,  said  he  was  innocent  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  other  prisoners,  and  was  kept  in  the  dark  as 
to  who  the  man  Warren  was.  He  concluded  by  making  an 
earnest  appeal  to  the  judge  to  temper  justice  with  mercy. 

Mr.  Justice  Archibald,  after  a  pause,  proceeded  to  pass 


382  THE   SENTENCE. 

sentence.  Addressing  each  of  the  four  prisoners  by  name, 
he  said  :  You  have  severally  been  convicted  of  the  offense, 
and,  although  the  indictment  only  charged  you  with  forg- 
ing one  bill  of  exchange,  it  has  been  necessary  in  the  evi- 
dence adduced,  for  the  prosecution  to  bring  before  the 
court  and  jury  testimony  which  shows  you  were  each 
implicated  in  a  crime  which,  perhaps,  for  the  audacity  of 
its  conception,  the  magnitude  of  the  fraud  perpetrated,  and 
the  misdirected  skill  and  ingenuity  with  which  it  was 
attempted  to  be  carried  into  effect,  is  without  a  parallel. 
I  can  see  no  palliating  or  mitigating  circumstances  in  your 
offense.  You  were  not  pressed  by  want;  on  the  contrary 
you  appear  to  have  embarked  in  this  nefarious  scheme  a 
very  considerable  amount  of  money.  You  were  persons  of 
education,  so  far  as  intellectual  training  goes,  without  any 
corresponding  development  of  the  moral  sense.  Some  of 
you  can  speak  several  foreign  languages,  and  all  of  you  are 
acquainted  with  the  banking  and  commercial  business. 
The  success  of  the  enterprise  was  only  rendered  possible  by 
the  fact  that  in  these  times,  with  the  immense  commercial 
operations  going  on  in  various  directions,  it  is  necessary  to 
extend  to  those  who  are  engaged  in  or  contemplate  such 
operations,  and  who  give  reason  to  believe  they  are  men 
of  business  and  of  apparent  respectability,  the  utmost  confi- 
dence. It  is  not  the  least  atrocious  part  of  your  crime  that 
you  have  given  a  severe  blow  to  that  confidence  which  has 
so  long  been  maintained  and  protected  in  this  country.  You, 
who  do  not  ask  for  mercy,  and  who  are  not  restrained  by 
respect  for  law  or  honesty,  must  be  met  with  a  terrible  retri- 
bution, and  it  should  be  well  known  that  those  who  commit 
crimes,  which  only  persons  of  education  sometimes  commit, 
will  be  sure  to  meet  with  a  very  heavy  punishment.  I  can- 
not see  any  reason  to  make  a  distinction  in  the  sentence  I  am 
about  to  pass.  In  regard  to  that  sentence,  if  I  could  conceive 
any  case  of  forgery  worse  than  this,  I  should  have  endeavored 
to  take  into  consideration  whether  some  punishment  less  than 


''PENAL   SERVITUDE   FOR  LIFE:'  ggg 

the  maximum  might  have  been  sufficient ;  but,  as  I  cannot 
conceive  a  worse  case^  I  cannot  perceive  a  reason  for  miti- 
gating the  sentence.  That  sentence  is,  that  each  and  all  of 
you  be  kept  in  penal  servitude  for  life,  and,  in  addition  to 
that,  I  order  that  each  of  you  shall  pay  one  quarter  of  the 
costs  of  the  prosecution. 

The  convicts  were  then  removed  from  the  bar,  and  thus 
terminated  the  remarkable  trial. 


*  Justice  Archibald  '  cannot  conceive  a  worse  case "  of  forgery  ! 
After  our  crime  has  been  expiated  by  fifteen  years  of  the  worst  kind  of 
slavery  —  while  not  wishing  to  palliate  anything  in  the  way  of  crime,  or 
even  anything  that  violates  the  Cardinal  Principle  of  life,  "treating  others 
as  we  should  wish  to  be  treated  " —  I  can  do  no  less  than  call  attention  to  the 
unfairness  and  blind  prejudice  exhibited  by  him  on  numerous  occasions 
during  the  trial.  And  this  is  well  illustrated  by  the  preceding  paragraph. 
If  the  honorable  Judge  is  still  alive,  let  him  answer  the  following  question: 
Considered  in  its  moral  bearings,  and,  judging  from  the  relative  degree  of 
misery  caused,  which  is  the  worst  act  :  To  obtain  money  by  fraud  from  a 
corporation  like  the  Bank  of  England,  to  which  millions  are  but  a  drop  in 
the  bucket,  or  to  get  away  the  investments  and  savings  of  thousands, 
including  the  jointures  of  widows  and  the  inheritances  of  orphans,  leaving 
them  to  drag  out  lives  amid  deprivation  and  want  —  and  worse?  To  give 
but  one  of  dozens  of  instances  which  have  happened  m  this  very  England 
during  our  imprisonment:  The  managers  of  the  Glasgow  Bank  perpetrated 
all  the  enormities  shadowed  forth  above.  The  evidence  was  conclusive, 
and  the  proofs  indisputable,  but  they  were  not  Americans,  had  influen- 
tial friends,  and  therefore  got  off  with  sentences  varying  from  twelve 
months  to  two  years.  They  were  soon  again  at  liberty  to  perpetrate 
fresh  frauds,  leaving  those  of  their  victims  who  are  not  dead  to  struggle  to 
this  day  for  existence  —  some  of  their  fair  daughters  to  end  wretched  lives 
as  nymphs  du  pave,  and  I  have  seen  some  of  the  sons  in  prison. — G.  B. 


Chapter  XXXVI. 


ARTICLE  FROM  "LONDON  TIMES "  — A  TEMPEST  IN  A  TEAPOT  —  ARREST  OF 
WARDERS  LOCH,  SMIDT,  AND  NORRIS— THE  "PATTERN"  SOLICITOR,  HOWELL, 
AGAIN  — A  FAITHFUL  BROTHER  — A  SOAP  PRISON-KEY  — 300  SOVEREIGNS 
THROWN  AWAY  —SOLICITOR  HOWELL'S  "BENEVOLENT"  VISITS  TO  NEWGATE 
— HIS  ASTUTE  PLAN— A  PRISON  "  TOOL  "  —  HIS  TREASON  AND  ITS  RESULT — A 
BODY-GUARD  OF  POLICEMEN — NORRIS  GETS  THREE  MONTHS  FOR  ACTING  AS 
A  POSTMAN  — JOHN  BRIGHT'S,  CHAMBERLAIN'S,  SPURGEON'S,  CHURCHILL'S, 
MORLEY'S,  marquises  LYMINGTON'S  and  HARTINGTON'S  letters  —  CHARLES 
DUDLEY  WARNER'S,  MRS.  HARRIET  BEECHER  STOWE'S,  AND  MARK  TWAIN'S 
PETITION  FOR  AUSTIN  REFUSED — JOHN  BIDWELL  FLIES  FROM  ENGLAND  — 
SUCCESS  OF  HOWELL'S  RASCALITY  —  HE   IS  EXPELLED   FROM   THE  PROFESSION. 

[From  the  London  Times  of  August  23d,  1873.] 

QjOME  further  information  has  transpired  in  relation  to  the 
lO  alleged  conspiracy  to  corrupt  some  of  the  warders  of  New- 
gate,  with  a  view  to  procure  the  release  of  the  prisoners,  now  on 
their  trial,  to  which  reference  was  made  in  the  Times  of  Saturday. 
There  can  be  now  no  doubt  that  this  daring  enterprise  was  seri- 
ously contemplated,  and  but  for  the  energy  of  some  of  the  city 
magistrates,  and  notably  of  Alderman  and  Sheriff  Sir  Thomas 
White,  had  all  but  succeeded.  It  would  seem  that  on  the  eve  of 
the  trial.  John  Bidwell,  a  brother  of  the  prisoners,  Austin  and 
George  Bidwell,  reputed  to  be  a  man  of  substance  in  the  United 
States,  arrived  in  this  country  for  the  ostensible  and  legitimate 
purpose  of  assisting  his  kinsmen  with  the  means  for  conducting 
their  defense,  and  that  about  the  same  time  a  cousin  of  the  pris- 
oner McDonald  came  on  a  similar  errand.  Their  movements  at 
first  excited  no  suspicion,  and  John  Bidwell  at  least,  if  not  also  the 
cousin  of  McDonald,  was  accommodated  with  a  seat  m  the  body 
of  the  court  for  several  days,  though  that  perhaps  was  only  known 
to  the  sheriff  and  under  sheriffs  and  the  prisoners  themselves.  All 
went  well  through  the  first  three  days  of  the  trial,  the  movements 
of   the  two  visitors  exciting  no  suspicion,  but  on  Thursday  last 

(384) 


CORRUPTION  OF    WARDITRS! 


385 


Alderman  Sir  Thomas  White,  upon  information  he  had  received, 
gave  strict  orders  to  the  police  in  attendance  that  one  at  least,  if 
not  two,  of  the  doors  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  dock, 
and  leading  from  the  floor  of  the  court  to  an  outer  corridor,  com- 
municating in  two  directions  with  the  open  street,  should  be  closed. 
This  arrangement  was  thenceforward  carried  into  effect,  and  has 
since  been  maintained  from  day  to  day.     It  should  be  stated  here 


BURNING    RETURNED    BANK   NOTES. 

that  from  the  commencement  of  the  trial  all  the  avenues  to  the 
court  have  been  strictly  guarded  by  the  city  police,  but  only  or 
chiefly  with  the  view  of  preventing  overcrowding,  and  the  general 
public  have  been  admitted  from  day  to  day  so  far  as  was  consistent 
with  comfort.  On  Friday  morning,  an  intimation  having  been 
made  to  Sir  Thomas  White,  the  senior  Sheriff  of  London,  that 
there  was  reason  to  believe  attempts  were  being  made  to  corrupt 
some  of  the  warders  of  Newgate,  he  lost  no  time  in  communi- 
cating with  his  brother  magistrates  in  attendance,  Mr.  Alderman 
Finnis,  Mr.  Alderman  Lawrence,  and  Mr.  Alderman  Besley,  and 
they  at  once  instituted  an  inquiry  within  the  gaol,  the  result  being 
to  convince  them  that  the  information  they  had  received  was  sub- 
25 


386  LOCH,  SMIDT,  AND  NOERIS. 

stantially  true.  One  of  the  suspected  warders  was  searched,  and 
upon  him  were  found  three  letters  which  he  had  received  from  a 
convicted  prisoner  in  the  gaol  to  post,  that  being  contrary  to  the 
rules  of  the  prison  and  an  infringement  of  the  Gaol  Act,  which 
provides  that  letters  from  prisoners  shall  pass  through  the  hands  of 
the  governor.  The  warder  in  question  was  thereupon  suspended, 
and  moreover  for  that  offense  was  sent  before  a  magistrate  at 
Guildhall  by  whom  he  was  remanded  for  a  week.  The  magistrate 
sitting  in  Newgate  continuing  their  inquiry  ascertained  beyond 
doubt,  as  we  are  assured  on  reliable  authority,  that  two  others  of 
the  prison  warders  received  £100  each  from  friends  of  the  prison- 
ers or  of  some  of  them,  and  they  have  reason  to  believe  that  an 
attempt  was  to  have  been  made  on  the  night  of  Friday  last  to 
effect  their  escape.  The  result  for  the  present  is  that  three  of 
the  warders  have  been  suspended,  namely.  Loch,  Smidt,  and  Nor- 
ris,  the  last  named  of  whom  is  now  in  Hallo  way  Prison.  On  Loch 
being  searched  £50  odd  in  sovereigns  was  found  upon  him,  and 
he  sought  to  account  for  the  possession  of  so  large  a  sum  by  stat- 
ing  that  his  brother  at  Brighton  had  placed  it  in  his  hands  to  pay 
bills  which  he  owed.  Before  the  discovery,  Smidt,  one  of  the 
three  suspended  warders  is  said  to  have  told  a  detective  with 
whom  he  is  w^ell  acquainted,  that  he  was  going  to  Tasmania,  and 
would  carry  his  best  friend  in  his  pocket  in  the  shape  of  £100. 
This  careless  avowal  caused  the  detective  to  watch  John  Bidwell. 
whom  he  followed  from  Newgate  on  his  departure  after  making 
a  visit  to  one  of  his  brothers  there  confined.  One  of  the  above 
named  warders  left  the  prison  about  the  same  time,  and,  according 
to  prearrangement,  met  Bidv/ell,  and  both  got  on  top  of  an  omni- 
bus [the  London  busses  have  two  seats,  back  to  back,  outside]. 
An  assistant  of  the  detective  managed  to  mount  the  same  bus  and 
sat  with  his  back  to  the  two,  whom  he  so  successfully  '^  shadowed," 
and  heard  sufficient  to  satisfy  himself  that  the  brother  had  paid 
out  a  considerable  sum  of  money  to  the  warders,  in  pursuance  of 
a  plan  to  assist  the  four  Americans  to  escape.  Some  of  the 
incriminated  warders  had  been  seen  drinking  in  the  evenings  with 
friends  of  the  prisoners,  or  sympathizers,  and  from  that  time  their 
movements  were  closely  watched.  One  night  last  week  John  Bid- 
well,  the  brother  of  the  two  prisoners  of  that  name,  was  traced 


A  BROTHER'S  ZEAL.  ogj 

to  the  house  of  one  of  the  three  warders  in  the  east  end  of  Lon- 
don, which  another  of  the  three  was  afterward  seen  to  enter. 
Thence  John  Bi  dwell  was  traced  to  his  lodgings  in  a  suburb, 
where  he  stayed  over  night  unmolested,  he  having  not  then,  as 
was  supposed,  committed  any  offense  cognizable  by  the  police,  and 
he  has  not  since  been  seen  in  or  about  the  court.  It  is  a  remarka- 
ble fact  connected  with  the  affair  that  all  the  three  suspended 
warders  would  have  been  on  duty  in  the  prison  during  the  night 
of  which  there  is  reason  to  believe  the  attempt  to  release  the 
prisoners  was  to  have  been  made.  Since  the  discovery  of  the 
plot  extra  and  most  stringent  precautions  have  been  taken  by 
Major  Bowman,  the  chief  superintendent  of  city  police,  to  guard 
the  prison  and  the  court-house.  Six  policemen  w^ell  armed  are 
now  on  duty  within  the  gaol  at  night,  in  place  of  the  three  sus- 
pended warders  ;  a  vigilant  watch,  moreover,  is  kept  outside,  and 
all  around  it  day  and  night,  and  instead  of  the  ordinary  warders 
who  guard  the  dock  while  prisoners  are  on  their  trial,  armed  police- 
men have  been  posted.  After  the  discovery  it  was  in  contempla- 
tion for  the  moment  to  exclude  the  public  from  the  gallery  of  the 
court  over  the  dock  as  an  additional  precaution,  but  on  reflection 
that  intention  was  abandoned.  The  duty  of  making  the  arrange- 
ments for  guarding  the  approaches  to  the  court  and  maintaining 
order  now  devolves  on  Major  Bowman,  the  chief  superintendent  of 
police,  and  Sheriff  Sir  Thomas  White  has  been  heard  to  express  his 
high  sense  of  the  Major's  zeal  and  discretion  on  the  occasion. 

"  A  tempest  in  a  teapot ,"  indeed !  Such  an  uproar  as  was 
caused  by  the  transaction  referred  to  in  the  Times,  and  proceed- 
ing from  so  small  a  cause,  would  be  laughable  to  one  who, 
like  myself,  knew  the  exact  circumstances,  but  for  its  tragic 
result. 

I  have  elsewhere  mentioned  that  this  was  the  chief  cause 
why  we  were  not  let  off  with  a  milder  sentence  than  for  life. 
I  now  give  the  exact  circumstances. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  a  relative  —  the  one  referred 
to  in  the  Times  —  John  Bidwell,  had  arrived  in  London, 
having  come  from  the  United  States,  like  a  faithful  brother,  to 
render  such  aid  as  was  in  his  power.     Some  of  the  warders 


3gg  EQUAL   TO  BUNCO  STEERERS. 

at  Newgate  saw  him  coming  in  daily  to  visit  his  brothers  — 
or  rather  talk  with  them  across  the  grating,  as  shown  in  the 
illustration,  page  81.  His  occupation  being  that  of  a  far- 
mer, they  could  not  fail  to  perceive  that  he  was  of  an  honest, 
confiding  nature,  and  believing  he  had  money,  they  concluded 
to  try  for  some  of  it.  Accordingly,  first  one,  then  another,  told 
McDonald  that  they  could  let  him  escape,  and  he  communi- 
cated the  "  good  news  "  to  his  friend  Austin. 

They  both  bit  at  the  bait,  and  had  one  of  the  warders 
speak  to  me  about  the  proposed  escape.  As  I  was  rather 
backward  about  encouraging  such  a  thing,  another  and 
another  warder  came.  They  proposed  to  let  us  out  at  night 
when  on  night  duty,  or  even  in  the  daytime  should  a  favor- 
able opportunity  present  itself.  They  also  proposed  to  go 
with  us,  vacating  a  responsible  post  of  trust,  thus  incurring 
the  penalty  of  penal  servitude  should  they  ever  be  caught. 
And  all  this  for  what  consideration?  <£100  —  about  8500! 
It  was  too  cheap !  They  saw  that  I  was  cold  on  the  project, 
and  tried  by  various  devices  to  get  me  interested.  One  of 
them  while  on  duty  carved  out  of  soap  a  key,  using  his  cell 
key  for  a  pattern,  and  every  little  while  would  come  to  my 
cell,  open  the  trap  in  the  door  and  show  me  how  he  was  get- 
ting on.  He  said  they  were  going  to  get  a  casting  from  the 
soap  pattern  as  they  had  to  give  up  their  keys  when  they 
went  home  at  six  or  seven  p.  m.  I  really  began  to  think 
they  were  in  earnest,  but  said  to  myself :  "  Even  so  —  but 
what  possible  chance  have  we  to  get  out  of  England,  when  we 
could  not  save  ourselves  at  a  time  when  we  were  unknown, 
now  that  our  pictures  adorn  the  pages  of  all  the  illustrated 
papers,  and  after  thousands  have  seen  us." 

One  day,  about  a  fortnight  before  the  trial  began,  my  bro- 
ther John,  while  visiting  me  at  the  yard  grating,  informed 
me  that  Austin  had  mentioned  the  plan  to  him,  and  wished 
him  to  go  into  it.  I  told  him  it  was  only  a  speculation  on 
the  part  of  those  warders,  recapitulated  the  above,  and  told 
him  that  they  could  not  accomplish  it  even  if  sincere ;  that  in 


OXE  HUNDRED   SOVEREIGNS  EACH.  339 

the  past  ages  every  possible'  plan,  device,  and  trick  for  escap- 
ing had  been  resorted  to,  and  guarded  against,  so  that  such 
offers  could  mean  nothing  but  an  intended  swindle. 

Still,  under  the  circumstances,  I  did  not  feel  authorized  in 
attempting  to  put  a  veto  on  the  matter,  for  the  others  would 
always  feel  that  I  had  caused  them  to  throw  away  a  chance 
of  escape.  I  therefore  strongly  advised  him  to  go  into  it 
only  on  condition  that  the  money  should  be  deposited  in  the 
hands  of  a  third  party,  to  be  sent  to  them  or  paid  over  to 
their  order  after  the  job  was  done.  As  they  would  be  cer- 
tain to  get  the  money  if  successful,  refusal  of  that  condition 
would  be  tantamount  to  an  acknowledgment  that  they  were 
only  trying  to  "  beat "  him  out  of  the  money. 

Neither  of  us  knew  at  the  time  that  every  cell  door  was 
double-locked  at  ten  p.  m.,  so  that  only  with  the  master  key, 
which  was  kept  by  the  governor,  could  a  cell  be  unlocked.  I 
was  quite  satisfied  that  the  warders  would  not  accede  to  such 
a  proposition  and  that  the  money  would  be  saved.  My 
brother  departed,  promising  not  to  pay  it  except  as  I  had 
advised. 

Solicitor  Howell  came  in  on  one  of  his  daily  benevolent 
($10)  visits,  and  in  order  to  make  sure  that  John  should  not 
be  taken  in,  I  informed  him,  under  the  seal  of  confidence,  all 
about  the  affair,  requesting  him  to  advise  John  to  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  it.  He  also  promised  to  do  nothing  that  could 
arouse  suspicion  against  the  warders.  Before  solicitor  Howell 
saw  John,  the  latter  had  met  the  warders,  as  recounted  in 
the  article  copied  from  the  London  Times^  and  was  cajoled 
into  paying  one  hundred  sovereigns  each  to  three  of  them. 
The  next  day  John  came  in  and  told  me  what  he  had  done. 
In  one  of  his  visits  just  before  the  trial,  solicitor  Howell  ques- 
tioned me  about  the  matter,  and  I  informed  him  about  the 
three  hundred  sovereigns.  At  the  same  time  I  expressed  to 
him  my  apprehensions  of  trouble  arising  that  might  prejudice 
our  case  at  the  coming  trial.  He  showed  visible  signs  of 
anger  and  vexation  that  three  hundred  sovereigns  had  slipped 


390  HOWELVS   CHICANERY. 

through  his  fingers,  but  promised  to  manage  the  matter  so 
that  it  should  do  no  harm  —  that  in  accordance  with  my  wish 
he  would  see  them  privately,  get  back  the  money,  and  return 
it  to  my  brother  John.  I  saw  clearly  enough  that  he  did  not 
relish  the  idea  of  returning  the  money,  for  ever  since  my 
brother  John's  arrival  in  England,  he  had  exhausted  every 
trick  and  wile  to  extract  from  him  all  the  money  he  had 
brought  with  him  to  England,  and  was  well  aware  that  the 
sum  paid  to  the  warders  was  nearly  all  he  had  left. 

I  am  able,  by  the  light  of  after  events,  together  with  what 
I  extracted  from  him  during  the  trial,  to  lay  bare  the  plan 
evolved  by  this  astute  solicitor,  by  which  he  accomplished  his 
aim  of  retaining  undisturbed  possession  of  what  he  already 
had  in  his  hands,  and  to  secure  for  himself  the  three  hundred 
sovereigns.  He  went  to  Mr.  Jonas,  the  governor,  and  divulged 
the  whole  matter,  stipulating  that  Mr.  Jonas  should  manage 
it  so  that  no  suspicion  should  fall  on  himself,  and  that  no 
measures  should  be  taken  to  arrest  my  brother  John,  whom 
he  himself  could  easily  frighten  out  of  the  country  at  the 
proper  moment.  In  accordance  with  this  arrangement  Mr. 
Jonas  had  a  watch  set  on  the  warders  to  see  if  anything  could 
be  discovered  that  would  warrant  action  independent  of 
solicitor  Howell's  revelations.  A  young  man^  whose  name 
I  have  forgotten,  call  him  Jones,  was  in  Newgate  awaiting 
trial  on  the  charge  of  having  for  some  time  extracted  stamps 
and  postal  orders  from  letters  sent  to  his  mastero  This 
young  man  was  selected  as  the  proper  instrument  to  use  in 
worming  his  way  into  the  confidence  of  us  four  Americans. 
In  order  not  to  excite  suspicion  as  to  his  object,  he  would  be 
brought  to  one  or  the  other  of  our  cells  and  set  at  work 
shaving,  hair-trimming,  or  scrubbing  and  cleaning,  the  cell 
door  standing  open  and  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  reliable 
warders  —  called  "  Old  Smith  "  —  in  charge.  "  Old  Smith," 
of  whom  see  a  back  view  in  cut  "  Visitors  at  Newgate,"  page 
81,  was  a  character,  and,  so  far  as  1  saw,  not  a  bad,  though  an 
astute  old  man.     Observing  the  undue  familiarity  of    some 


JONJES'S   "VIRTUE"    ITS   OWN  REWARD.  39 j^ 

other  warders  with  us,  he  had  on  two  or  three  occasions 
observed  to  me  regarding  them :  "  Those  young  fellows  will 
get  themselves  into  trouble  if  they  don't  look  sharp."  Gov- 
ernor Jonas  had  complete  confidence  in  "  Old  Smith "  and 
accordingly  had  put  him  on  this  duty ;  and  I  think  that  while 
on  duty  he  would  have  obeyed  orders  if  directed  to  obtain 
evidence  which  would  hang  his  own  brother.  Accordingly, 
leaving  young  "  Jones  "  in  my  cell,  or  that  of  one  of  the 
others,  he  would  walk  away  down  the  corridor  giving  that 
"tool"  opportunities  for  conversation,  of  which  prisoners 
eagerly  avail  themselves  as  a  break  in  the  monotony  of  their 
lives.  At  the  time  I  suspected  some  design  in  all  this,  was  on 
my  guard,  and  did  not  know  until  years  afterward  the  result 
of  the  intrigue.  It  may  be  well  to  explain  that  while  awaiting 
trial  we  were  allowed  pens,  ink,  and  paper. 

At  Dartmoor  prison,  in  1875,  this  same  Jones  was  cleaner 
in  my  ward,  and  told  me  the  whole  affair,  and  his  relation 
remains  vividly  impressed  on  my  memory.  Said  he,  "  One 
day,  while  we  were  at  Newgate,  I  was  in  McDonald's  cell,  and 
he  handed  me  a  letter  to  take  to  you  the  first  time  I  should 
be  let  into  your  cell.  After  I  returned  to  my  own,  I  read  the 
letter  and  saw  that  it  was  about  some  plan  of  escape,  and 
thinking  to  benefit  myself  I  gave  it  to  Jonas.  And  I  got  well 
paid  !  Seven  years  penal  servitude  !  But  for  the  moment  it 
did  help  me,  for  when  my  case  was  called,  Mr.  Jonas  spoke  a 
good  word  for  me,  and  I  got  off  with  a  month  in  Newgate. 
When  my  master  discovered  by  what  means  I  had  obtained 
the  mitigation  of  my  sentence,  he  was  so  mad  that  when  the 
month  had  expired  he  had  me  tried  on  another  indictment, 
and,  being  convicted,  am  now  doing  seven  years." 

Jones  expressed  much  regret  at  having  served  McDonald 
so  shabby  a  trick,  etc.  This  gave  Governor  Jonas  the  oppor- 
tunity for  which  he  had  been  waiting,  as  he  could  now  pro- 
ceed openly,  without  being  obliged  to  bring  Solicitor  Howell's 
name  into  the  matter. 

I  now  come  to  the  period  referred  to  in  the  Times  article 


392  WARDER   NORRTS   IMPRISONED. 

— the  fourth  day  of  the  trial.  It  was  also  rumored  that 
about  two  hundred  sporting  men  had  crossed  from  New  York 
to  hear  the  trial,  although  none  of  our  party  had  ever 
belonged  to  that  fraternity.  Neither  ourselves  or  friends 
had  any  communication  with  any  of  them  in  London,  yet 
it  was  believed  that  they  were  cognizant  of  and  partici- 
pants in  the  "  plot."  A  numerous  body  of  policemen  were 
detailed,  who  patrolled,  with  loaded  revolvers,  around  New- 
gate and  the  Old  Bailey  day  and  night.  Upon  our  return 
from  the  court  on  the  evening  of  the  fourth  day,  we  were 
accompanied  by  a  body-guard  of  policemen  through  the  under- 
ground way  leading  to  the  "  passage  and  stairs,"  at  the  foot 
of  which  we  waited  our  turn  to  enter  the  dock,  as  depicted  in 
the  illustration.  Arriving  in  the  ward  in  which  my  cell  was 
located,  I  saw  several  others  with  revolver  and  truncheon  in 
belts.  The  newspaper  columns  were  rife  with  particulars, 
strange  to  us,  about  this  "  daring  attempt  to  escape  from 
Newgate." 

On  August  28th  Warder  Norris  was  again  brought  before 
the  magistrate  at  Guildhall,  on  the  charge  of  having  attempted 
to  carry  out  of  Newgate  the  three  letters  written  by  a  prisoner. 
For  this  he  was  fined  ten  pounds  sterling,  and  in  default  of 
payment,  three  months'  imprisonment  at  hard  labor.  Besides 
the  fine,  he  was  expelled  the  service,  with  forfeiture  of  the 
pay  then  due  him.  He  asked  for  a  partial  remission,  on  the 
ground  that  he  had  a  wife  and  six  children  to  support  out  of 
his  salary  of  twenty -eight  shillings  a  week,  which  was  now 
stopped  and  they  left  penniless.  His  request  was  not  granted, 
and  he  was  sent  to  prison,  leaving  his  wife  and  children  on 
the  town. 

It  will  be  perceived  that  the  affair  of  the  letters  was  a  side 
issue  of  the  plan  of  escape,  and  these  events  caused  important 
alteration  in  the  management  of  Newgate. 

On  September  9th  a  committee  composed  of  magistrates 
of  the  city,  the  Lord  Mayor  acting  as  chairman,  was  engaged 
a  considerable  time  at  Guildhall,  in  investigating  the  circum- 


PERSONAL  PROPERTY  CONFISCATED.  393 

stances  under  which  the  attempt  was  made  to  corrupt  three 
of  the  wardens  of  Newgate,  with  a  view  to  facilitate  or  to 
connive  at  our  escape  from  prison  while  the  trial  was  pending 
at  the  Central  Criminal  Court,  Old  Bailey.  The  inquiry,  for 
various  reasons,  was  private  and  was  adjourned,  and  a  report 
undoubtedly  made  by  the  committee  to  the  full  Court  of 
Aldermen,  so  that  all  the  circumstances  connected  with  the 
transaction  transpired. 

But  at  the  period  when  these  pages  were  written,  I  had 
been  unable  to  discover  any  official  account  of  the  result  of  the 
investigation.  While  in  prison  at  Dartmoor,  I  heard  that  Nor- 
ris  was  sentenced  to  eighteen  months'  imprisonment,  and  that 
the  other  two  were  dismissed  the  service.  Of  course  this  looks, 
on  the  bare  facts,  as  though  they  got  off  very  lightly  for  such 
a  breach  of  duty.  Norris  had  a  wife  and  six  children  to 
support  and  educate  in  London  on  a  salary  of  twenty-eight 
shillings  (#6.75)  per  week.  I  have  elsewhere  entered  into 
this  subject  of  salaries  more  fully,  and  the  reader  will  readily 
see  how  hard  it  must  be  for  a  warder  situated  like  Norris 
to  resist  the  temptation  of  obtaining  money  in  almost  any 
manner  consistent  with  supposed  safety. 

Amidst  all  this  hubbub,  which  was  very  opportune  to  suit 
the  views  of  Justice  Archibald  —  to  whom  it  gave  a  welcome 
excuse  —  without  permitting  a  moment's  delay  after  the  jury 
had  rendered  their  verdict,  he  sentenced  us  all  indiscrim- 
inately to  penal  servitude  for  life. 

I  have  read  in  a  London  paper  of  contemporary  date  that 
"  the  whole  of  the  prisoners  were  ready  to  plead  guilty  uncon- 
ditionally," provided  that  an  arrangement  could  be  made  by 
which  we  should  receive  a  sentence  of  ten  or,  at  most,  fifteen 
years'  penal  servitude ;  but  the  authorities  "  peremptorily 
refused,  and  said  the  law  must  take  its  course."  That  state- 
ment is  incorrect,  for  Austin  and  Noyes  refused  under  any 
circumstances  to  plead  guilty.  McDonald  and  myself  were 
willing  to  do  so  if  it  would  be  of  any  benefit  to  them.  Our 
watches   and   other   personal   property,  clothing,   etc.,  were 


394 


PETITION  FOR  AUSTIN'S  RELEASE. 


ordered  by  the  judge  to  be  sold  toward  repaying  the  bank 
the  costs  of  the  prosecution  (about  $350,000). 

To  show  the  opinions  of  some  of  England's  greatest  men, 
and  at  least  one  of  America's,  I  have  the  honor  to  submit 
copies  of  letters,  etc.,  appended  to  a  petition  for  Austin  Bid- 
well's  release.  Notwithstanding  the  influence  of  such  emi- 
nent names,  the  petition  was  refused,  because  of  what  was 
said  by  the  American  press  about  my  own  release  —  some  of 
the  newspapers  asserting  that  I  would  unfailingly  plunge  back 
into  crime.  Of  course  if  that  should  prove  to  be  the  truth,  the 
authorities  would  be  justified  in  preventing  him  from  joining 
me  in  a  criminal  career.  But  I  trust  the  time  is  not  distant 
when  they  will  be  disabused  of  that  belief. 


JOHN   BRIGHT. 

18  Chfford  Street,  W.  (London). 

Dear  Mr.  Matthews,  —  May  I  venture  to  ask  you  to  consider 
the  case  to  which  this  letter  or  memorial  refers,  and  to  express  my 
opinion  that  to  consent  to  the  petition  would  be  an  act  not  only  of 
mercy  but  of  wisdom. 

A  life  sentence  on  a  young  man  of  25  years  of  age  for  an  offense 
against  property,  seems  to  me  very  harsh  and  inconsistent  with  the 
better  feeling  prevailing  in  our  time. 


JOHN  BRIGHT  STRONGLY  SUPPORTED.  395 

Pray  forgive  me  for  thus  addressing  you.     An  act  of  mercy  will 
not  lessen  the  confidence  of  the  public  in  your  eminent  office. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

John  Bright. 
To  Right  Hon.  H.  Matthews,  Home  Office. 

July  12th,  1887. 
I  heartily  support  the  request  of  Mr.  Bright. 

J.  Chamberlain  (M.  P.). 

Aug.  1st,  1887. 
It  does  appear  as  if  a  life  sentence  at  25  was  as  severe  as  could 
have  been  had  the  case  been  the  worst  possible  to  men. 

Surely  a  careful  revision  is  not  too  much  to  ask.     I  earnestly 
join  my  request  to  that  of  Mr.  Bright. 

(The  Reverend)  Charles  H.  Spurgeon. 

Aug.  4th,  1887. 
I  agree  with  the  above. 

Randolph  T.  Churchill  (M.  P.). 

Aug.  4th,  1887. 
I  strongly  support  I^Ir.  Bright's  request. 

John  Morley  (M.  P.). 

I  heartily  support  Mr.  Bright's  request. 

(The  Marquis  of)  Lymington. 

I  hope  the  case  will  be  reconsidered. 

(The  Marquis  of)  Hartington. 

Aug.  6th,  1887. 
I  think  there  is  here  a  very  strong  case  for  the  consideration  of 
the  Home  Secretary. 

Charles  Russell  (Queen's  Conn.). 

Legation  of  the  United  States, 

London,  August  9th,  1887. 
I  earnestly  concur  in  the   foregoing  petition  .  .  .  and  ask  the 
favorable  consideration  of  the  Home  Secretary  upon  the  grounds  of 
justice  as  well  as  of  mercy. 

The  prisoner  has  now  been  14  years  in  penal  servitude,  counting 
from  the  time  of  his  arrest  fourteen  and  one-half  years. 

As   I   understand   the   allowance   for  good   conduct  upon  time 


393      ^^^   WOMAN  OF  THE  CENTURY  SIGNS  A  PETITION. 

sentences,  the  imprisonment  he  has  suffered  would  be  nearly  equiv- 
alent to  that  of  a  sentence  for  20  if  that  allowance  was  made,  and  I 
am  informed  that  his  conduct  during  the  whole  time  has  been  such 
as  to  entitle  him  to  the  allowance. 

I  respectfully  suggest  that  for  an  offense  against  property  only, 
not  involving  any  attempt  upon  human  life,  committed  by  a  very 
young  man,  the  punishment  he  has  already  suffered  is  great,  and  it 
would  seem  unnecessary  cruelty  to  prolong  it. 

The  connections  of  the  prisoner  in  the  United  States  are  very 
respectable,  and  they  are  very  anxious  that  a  further  chance  in  life 
be  afforded  him,  and  hopeful  that  it  will  be  well  employed.  .   .  . 

The  lady  who,  with  great  devotion  and  self  sacrifice,  has  come 
from  Western  America,  and  has  remained  a  number  of  months  on 
this  errand  of  mercy,  is  warmly  commended  to  me  by  letters  from 
persons  of  high  personal  and  oflBcial  standing 

Should  a  pardon  be  granted,  the  relatives  of  the  prisoner  will 
take  him  immediately  to  America,  and  will  engage  that  he  shall 
not  return  to  England. 

It  will  be  in  the  memory  of  the  Home  Secretary  that  the  elder 

associate  of   the   prisoner    in   the    crime    .    .    .    has  already  been 

pardoned. 

E.  J.  Phelps  (Ambassador). 

In  January,  1888,  a  petition  was  forwarded  in  Austin  Bid- 
well's  behalf  signed  by  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe,  Charles  Dudley 
Warner,  and  Samuel  L.  Clemens  (Mark  Twain),  the  reply  to 
which,  received  by  Mr.  Warner,  is  presented  on  next  page. 

On  the  morning  of  the  fifth  day  of  the  trial,  solicitor 
Howell  handed  me,  while  in  the  dock,  a  note  from  my  brother 
John,  saying  that  he  was  "  just  leaving  for  Paris,  not  daring 
to  remain  in  London,  solicitor  Howell  having  ascertained  that 
the  police  were  after  him  for  the  bribery  of  Newgate  warders." 

First,  this  solicitor  had  now  attained  his  purpose,  viz. :  No 
friend  of  ours  was  left  in  England  to  scan  his  account,  and 
what  use  he  had  made  of  the  money  placed  in  his  hands  for 
our  defense,  and  to  make  him  settle  fairly  through  fear  of 
exposure. 


LETTER  TO   CHARLES  DUDLEY    WARNER.  397 


I  tie  rejiTy  Ta  ifas  Letter yim  are  reqneiUM 
to  2fiai&  the folkviing  NumieTt 

^3 


^*-*^  tZt,t^  da-a^t 


X 


398 


EXIT  HOWELL. 


Secondly,  he  had  stirred  up  a  hubbub  that  ensured  me,  at 
least,  being  put  out  of  the  way  by  means  of  a  long  imprison- 
ment. Do  I  do  the  man  injustice  ?  The  bank  solicitor,  Mr. 
Freshfield,  and  in  general,  the  legal  fraternity  who  were 
obliged  to  know  him,  will  believe  what  I  say,  as  he  was  con- 
sidered a  "  beat "  in  the  profession.  As  has  been  seen,  it  was 
only  by  accident  that  he  got  into  so  important  a  case,  and 
it  was  easy  to  see  that  all  the  eminent  counsel  engaged 
showed  a  decided  repugnance  to  coming  in  contact  with  him, 
even  to  receive  his  "  retainers,"  and  paltry  ones  they  were. 
Some  to  whom  he  applied  would  not  take  the  case  from  him. 

But  it  was  just  that  we  should  not  evade  punishment, 
and  "  whom  the  gods  would  destroy,  they  first  make  mad," 
taking  away  their  capability  of  judging  aright. 

Since  the  preceding  sentence  was  written,  I  have  been  in- 
formed by  a  person  just  from  England,  who  investigated  the 
matter,  that  soon  after  our  conviction  this  unscrupulous  shark 
was  expelled  from  the  profession  on  account  of  the  "  legal " 
swindles  perpetrated  on  us  and  others. 


^^T^r^ 


Chapter  XXXVII. 


PENAL  SERVITUDE  FOR  LIFE-  FIRST  NIGHT  AFTER  THE  SENTENCE  —  DESPAIR  — 
ATTEMPTED  SUICIDE — SAVED  BY  A  SUPERNATURAL  WARNING — IN  CHAINS  — 
THE  BLACK  MARIA — NEWGATE  BURTING-GROUND  —  ARRIVAL  AT  PENTONVILLE 
PRISON  —  AN  OMINOUS  RECEPTION  —  MEDICAL  INSPECTION — PICKING  OAKUM  — 
EXERCISE  —  REMARKS  ON  PRISON  LIFE  —  THE  NINE  MONTHS'  SOLITARY  SYSTEM 
AN  ABSURDITY  —  INEQUALITY  OF  SENTENCES. 

NOW  that  this  extraordinary  trial  was  at  last  ended,  and 
the  sentence  of  "  penal  servitude  for  life  "  pronounced 
upon  us — strange  as  it  may  appear,  I  felt  an  immediate  relief 
from  the  terrible  strain  of  the  previous  five  months.  The 
worst  now  being  known,  a  great  load  seemed  removed, 
for  the  matter  was  settled  —  my  career  on  earth  finished. 
Thus  I  felt,  as  for  the  last  time  we  filed  out  of  the  dock, 
down  the  steps  into  the  corridor  shown  in  the  engraving, 
page  129,  and  along  the  subterranean  passage  leading  to  the 
cells  in  Newgate  —  a  passage  which  had  been  trodden  by  so 
many  thousands  of  feet,  carrying  equally  hopeless  hearts, 
going  mechanically  onward  to  meet  their  doom.  On  the  way, 
the  accompanying  warders  tried  to  cheer  us  with  the  hope  of 
a  distant  pardon;  but  at  that  moment  I  was  without  hope  — 
rather  rejoiced  in  the  prospect  of  a  speedy  death  that  I  had 
already  determined  upon.  During  the  trial  the  experienced 
warders  had  assured  us  that,  if  convicted,  we  would  get  at 
most  ten  or  twelve  years.  Mr.  Freshfield,  the  bank  solicitor, 
had  informed  St.  John  Wontner,  McDonald's  solicitor,  that 
the  bank  would  be  satisfied  with  a  ten  years'  sentence — but 
death  had  seemed  preferable  to  even  that.  And  now  it  was 
"  For  Life  I  "  A  thousand  times  preferable  would  be  a  sudden 
death !     Come,  ye  thunderbolts,  and  blast  me  out  of  existence  ! 

(399) 


^QQ  THE   BROTHERS'   PARTING, 

Such  was  my  feeling.  Arriving  in  the  ward  of  Newgate,  I 
gave  my  brother  a  last  embrace,  and  he  passed  up  the  stairs 
to  the  corridor  in  which  his  cell  was  located,  as  did  the  others, 
while  I  took  the  way  to  my  own  on  the  lower  floor.  From 
that  evening  of  the  25th  day  of  August,  1873,  to  the  time  of 
this  writing,  I  have  never  had  the  opportunity  of  taking  him 
by  the  hand. 

I  sat  down  upon  the  wooden  stool  in  my  dismal  cell,  and, 
as  I  reflected  upon  the  situation,  the  sense  of  relief  I  had 
experienced  faded  away,  and  despair  took  its  place.  My  past 
life  —  my  errors,  my  lost  family,  friends,  country — all  rushed 
through  my  mind,  and  overwhelmed  me  like  a  tumultuous 
flood.  I  felt  that  my  life  was  ended,  and  that  I  could  not 
bear  to  live  to  see  the  light  of  another  day.  I  picked  up  a 
slate  and  wrote  a  farewell  letter  to  my  wife,  and  destroyed 
all  letters  and  papers.  I  considered  the  sentence  an  unmerci- 
ful one  and  worse  than  death. 

Well-nigh  maddened  by  my  thoughts,  I  looked  about  for 
some  means  to  end  a  life  now  become  worthless,  and  found 
two  large  silk  handkerchiefs,  as  previously  related.  What 
happened  soon  after  has  been  briefly  described  in  a  foi'mer 
chapter,  and  I  refrain  from  depicting  more  fully  a  frightful 
incident  in  my  prison  life. 

Through  fear  of  being  discovered  by  the  watchman,  I  left 
the  prepared  noose  hanging,  and  crept  into  my  hammock,  but 
not  to  sleep.  I  could  exercise  no  control  over  my  thoughts, 
and  within  an  hour,  I  was  again  tortured  into  a  state  of  des- 
peration and  felt  it  to  be  impossible  to  live  ;  and  no  less  than 
three  times  during  that  fearful  night  I  put  my  head  in  the 
noose,  determined  to  end  my  misery,  but  each  time,  at  the 
last  moment,  came  the  voice  that  recalled  me  to  my  senses'. 
Early  in  the  morning  I  obliterated  all  traces  of  the  attempted 
self-murder,  erased  what  I  had  written  on  the  slate,  and  no 
one  ever  suspected  that  I  had  been  so  near  unto  death. 
Among  the  papers  I  destroyed  were  several  letters  that  my 
brother   had    received   the    previous    day,  which    had    been 


AN  APPALLING   CONTRAST. 


401 


handed  in  to  me  to  read  and  return  the  next  morning  ;  and  I 
have  no  doubt  he  wonders  to  this  day  why  I  failed  to  do  so. 

Daring  the  forenoon  all  my  citizen's  apparel  was  taken, 
and  a  suit  of  jail  clothes  given  me  ;  my  hair  and  beard  were 
cut  off,  and  I  was  set  at  work  picking  oakum. 

About  1  o'clock  p.  M.,  on  the  27th  day  of  August,  warders 
came  into  my  cell,  put  heavy  irons  connected  by  a  chain  around 
my  ankles,  and  handcuffs  on  my  wrists.  I  was  then  let  out 
into  the  corridor,  where  I  saw  my  three  companions  rigged 
out  in  the  same  graphic  style.  My  mind  reverted  to  the  tri- 
umphant meeting  at  the  St.  James  Hotel,  previously  described, 
and  I   could   not   repress  a  shudder  at  the  awful  contrast. 


VISITORS    AT    NEWGATE    STANDING    OVER    THE    BURYING-VAULT. 
DOOR    LEADING    TO    THE    BLACK-MARIA. 

We  were  all  four  marched  across  the  open  court,  beneath  the 
slabs  of  which  is  the  vault  into  which  are  thrown  the  bod- 
ies of  all  who  die  or  are  hanged  in  Newgate,  quick-lime 
being  thrown  in,  and  the  vault  soon  made  ready  for  fresh 
26 


402 


A  FINIS  FROM  THE  "  TIMES:' 


occupants,  which  are  never  lacking.  Such  is  the  Newgate 
burying-ground.  For  us,  surely,  a  worse  fate  was  reserved.  We 
continued  the  march  toward  our  living  grave,  and  reached, 
with  chains  clanking,  an  interior  court,  surrounded  by  walls 
thirty  feet  high,  in  which  stood  the  black-maria  or  prison 
omnibus,  shown  in  illustration,  page  113.  This  we  entered, 
one  by  one,  and  were  locked  into  the  boxes.  Two  jail  officers 
then  mounted  the  box  with  the  driver ;  another  stood  in  the 
passage  between  the  boxes ;  the  door  was  banged,  and  he  was 
locked  in  with  us ;  the  great  gate  was  thrown  open,  and  the 
vehicle  was  soon  rumbling  over  the  stones  toward  Pentonville 
Prison. 


PENTONVILLE    PRISON. 


The  following  from  the  London  Times  of  September  2d, 
may  be  regarded  a^  a  finis  to  that  portion  of  our  career : 

On  Saturday,  George  and  Austin  Bidwell,  George  McDonald,  and 
Edwin  Noyes,  who  were  recently  convicted  at  the  Central  Criminal 
Court  of  the  great,  forgeries  on  the  Bank  of  England,  and  sentenced 
by  Mr.  Justice  Archibald  to  penal  servitude  for  life,  were  removed 
from  the  gaol  of  Newgate  to  one  of  the  convict  establishments, 
to  undergo  a  portion  of  their  sentence.     Before  they  left  Newgate, 


A  FULL-DRESS  PARTY. 


403 


they  were  shorn  of  their  beards  and  whiskers,  and  clad  in  prison 
garb,  and  no  one,  it  is  said,  could  have  recognized  them  after  this 
change  in  their  appearance  had  been  effected. 

Pentonville  Prison,  to  which  we  were  bound,  is  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  London  from  Newgate,  and  in  about  half  an  hour 
the  black-maria  entered  the  ponderous  gate  which  closed 
behind  us.  The  van  door  was  unlocked,  as  were  also  the 
boxes,  and  all  four  of  us  found  in  safe  keeping !  We  had 
suffered  the  worst  of  all  misfortunes,  and  why  the  additional 
humiliation  of  loading  us  with  chains  for  a  half-hour's  ride 
through  the  heart  of  London  in  a  van  under  lock  and  guards  ? 
The  jail  officers  delivered  us  over  to  the  prison  authorities, 
one  of  whom,  as  we  left  the  van,  ordered  us  to  stand  in  a  row 
while  the  chains  were  taken  off.  My  brother  happened  to 
place  himself  two  or  three  inches  out  of  the  line,  and  was 
given  a  heavy  thump  in  the  breast  by  an  officer  who  shouted : 
"  Stand  back  !  We'll  show  you  who  is  master  here ! "  My 
brother  wisely  stood  back  without  speaking. 

We  had  been  very  kindly  treated  at  Newgate,  and  I  had 
been  permitted  to  take  with  me  in  the  van  two  serviceable 
silk  handkerchiefs,  a  tooth  and  a  nail  brush.  The  same  man 
took  away  the  handkerchiefs,  and  ordered  me  to  stamp  upon 
the  brushes  and  break  them,  and  none  were  ever  supplied  for 
the  use  of  convicts.  We  were  then  marched  into  a  room 
in  which  were  a  great  number  of  baths,  sunk  below  the  level 
of  the  floor,  and  ordered  to  strip  and  bathe.  We  were  sub- 
jected to  a  disgusting  search  and  inspection  of  our  naked 
bodies  by  the  warders,  to  make  sure  that  we  had  nothing 
concealed. 

After  this  we  were  ordered  to  dress  in  a  suit  of  convict 
clothing,  consisting  of  stockings  with  three  red  stripes  reach- 
ing above  the  knees,  a  checked  cotton  shirt,  cloth  stock,  a 
cap  made  of  three  pieces  of  buff'  cloth  sewed  together,  cordu- 
roy knee-breeches,  a  vest  or  waistcoat  of  the  same,  and  a 
jacket  of  buff  woolen  cloth.  (For  the  costume  see  illustra- 
tion, Prisoners  at  Exercise.) 


404 


DREAMING   OF  HOME. 


We  were  then  marched  into  a  corridor,  ranged  along  the 
wall,  and  ordered  to  strip  to  our  shirt  (see  engraving, 
Chapter  XL VI),  ready  for  examination  by  the  medical  officer, 
each  awaiting  his  turn  to  pass  into  the  inspection  room. 
After  this  was  over  we  were  marched  to  cells,  each  one  of 
our  party  being  put  in  separate  wings,  and  thenceforth  every 
precaution  was  taken  to  prevent  us  from  seeing  or  speaking 
to  each  other.  My  supper  was  brought,  and  consisted  of  a 
pint  of  oatmeal  gruel  and  six  ounces  of  bread. 


i 

LVi 

" 

- 

— 

■L^'  ■ 

'Ft  n\:.i  "- 


\^,-^i^'i^^.yy  y     "- 


-i~f  V'UiV  "f  » 


BIDWELL    PICKING    OAKUM. 

I  got  scant  sleep  on  the  straw  pallet  till  5  o'clock  a.m., 
and  was  dreaming  of  home  and  family,  when 

The  cling-clang  clanging  of  the  prison  bell 

Quick  plunged  my  spirit  down  from  heaven  to  hell. 

Hurrying  on  my  clothes,  an  assistant  warder  came  in  to  show 
me  how  to  fold  up  the  mattress  and  blankets,  and  to  put 
them  away  in  a  nice  heap  for  the  day. 

After  breakfast  —  for  which  see  dietary  schedules  at  the 
end  of  the  next  chapter  —  the  assistant  warder  brought  a 


A   CHANGE   OF   WORK.  4Q5 

bundle  of  short,  old  tarred  ropes,  which  he  said  contained 
two  and  one-half  pounds,  and  that  I  must  pick  it  into  oakum 
before  night.  Well,  1  sat  there,  and  picked  and  picked,  but 
the  pile  did  not  grow  fast,  and  when  I  put  it  out  at  bedtime, 
only  half  was  finished. 

About  11  A.  M.  the  following  day,  I  was  interrupted  in 
the  work  and  ordered  into  the  corridor,  where  I  found  my 
companions.  We  were  marched  before  Governor  Bones  (of 
whom  more  anon),  who,  in  a  menacing  voice,  read  the  rules 
of  the  prison,  a  copy  of  which  was  hung  up  in  each  cell. 

Every  moment,  when  not  asleep,  I  was  obliged  to  occupy 
my  mind  in  some  way,  or  my  thoughts  instantly  reverted  to 
my  family,  my  wasted  life,  and  the  awful  fate  which  I  had 
brought  upon  myself.  Even  the  few  minutes  between  the 
time  I  was  dressed  and  breakfast  were  intolerable,  for  I  could 
not  help  thinking.  At  night  I  could  not  sleep  until  I  adopted 
the  device  of  counting,  and  this  I  found  necessary  to  do  dur- 
ing every  waking  moment  when  I  could  not  see  to  study. 
When  taking  the  noose  down  at  Newgate,  I  had  determined 
to  live  it  out,  resolving  to  devote  all  my  spare  time  to  study, 
for  which  I  had  a  natural  taste  and  aptitude. 

I  was  marched  into  the  yard  each  day  for  an  hour's  exer- 
cise. At  eight  o'clock  at  night  I  made  down  my  bed,  and 
put  the  clothes  and  oakum  outside  into  the  corridor.  On  the 
morning  of  the  second  day  I  took  in  the  clothes  and  oakum, 
dressed,  made  up  the  bed,  and  swallowed  the  limited  break- 
fast. The  assistant  warder  then  came  in,  looked  at  the  oakum 
I  had  picked,  and  said  that  I  must  pick  it  all  over  again,  and 
separate  every  fiber.  I  told  him  the  dust  affected  my  throat, 
and  he  very  civilly  told  me  to  see  the  doctor.  I  saw  the 
medical  officer.  Dr.  Vane  C.  Clarke,  who,  in  the  kindest  man- 
ner, listened  to  what  I  had  to  say,  and  ordered  my  work  to  be 
changed  from  oakum-picking  to  sewing. 

From  what  1  have  written,  it  will  be  perceived  that  upon 
receiving  his  ^sentence  the  convict  is  taken  to  the  reception 
cells  in  Newgate,  where  he  first  dons  the  prison  dress.     His 


406 


PRISON  OCCUPATIONS. 


hair  is  cut  close,  and  he  is  put  to  oakum-picking  until  an  order 
is  received  to  remove  him  to  a  prison.  If  he  be  a  Protestant, 
he  is  sent  to  the  Pentonville ;  or  if  a  Catholic,  to  the  Millbank 
prison  —  both  in  the  suburbs  of  London.  At  either  of  these 
prisons,  for  nine  months  he  is  kept  sedulously  apart  from  all 
other  convicts,  and  employed  at  either  mat-making,  oakum- 
picking,  carpet-weaving,  shoemaking,  or  tailoring.     For  the 


MAT  MAKING    AT    PENTONVILLE    PRISON. 

sake  of  preserving  his  health  it  is  necessary  to  give  him,  daily, 
an  hour's  exercise  of  pacing  round  and  round  a  plot  of  ground 
enclosed  within  the  prison  walls.  (See  illustration.)  While 
grinding  away  at  this  monotonous  tramp  for  the  preservation 
of  health,  the  prisoners  must  keep  three  paces  apart. 

Upon  their  first  reception  into  a  government  prison,  they 
are  examined  by  the  medical  officer,  and  any  complaint  from 
which  one  may  be  suffering,  or  from  which  he  claims  that  he 
has  previously  suffered,  is  entered  on  his  "  medical  history  or 


PUNISHMENTS.  407 

caption-sheet,"  together  with  a  full  description  of  all  marks, 
defects,  and  peculiarities  of  every  kind,  however  caused;  also 
his  height  and  weight.  This  medical  history  sheet  is  sent 
with  the  convict  whenever  he  is  transferred  from  one  govern- 
ment prison  to  another. 

This  solitary  nine  months'  system  was  established  on  the 
plea  that  it  affords  the  prison  authorities  an  opportunity  of 
learning  the  character  and  disposition  of  the  convicts,  thus 
enabling  a  better  classification  when  they  are  sent  to  the 
public  works  prisons.  But  my  experience,  and  what  I  have 
known  of  its  effects  on  other  prisoners,  convinces  me  that  it 
is  a  bad,  and  in  many  cases  a  fatal  system,  especially  to  those 
who  are  undergoing  their  first  term  of  penal  servitude  ;  and 
these  are  about  the  only  ones  who  are  likely  to  reform  —  if 
such  a  thing  is  possible  under  the  present  English  system. 
The  first  nine  months  bear  the  hardest  on  him,  and  shutting 
him  in  solitude  so  long  is  apt  to  drive  him  into  a  state  of 
desperation  or  despair,  in  which  many  hundreds  of  men  every 
year  are  excited  into  the  commission  of  some  offense,  such  as 
striking  a  warder,  attempting  to  escape,  etc.,  a  majority  of 
whom  would  otherwise  get  through  their  term  by  running 
smoothly  in  the  even  groove  of  prison  life.  Should  a  prisoner 
lift  his  hand  against  any  authority,  the  immediate  result  would 
be  a  severe  clubbing,  beating,  and  kicking  with  heavy  boots  — 
punishments  not  supposed  to  be  permitted  by  the  superior 
authorities,  all  under-officers  being  instructed  to  use  only 
such  force  as  is  sufficient  to  restrain  the  prisoner.  He  would 
then  be  taken  before  the  governor  (even  for  a  trivial  offense, 
such  as  talking  with  or  giving  a  piece  of  bread  to  another 
prisoner),  and  punished  more  or  less  severely,  according,  to 
the  nature  of  the  offense.  In  my  time  a  flogging  with  a  cat- 
o'-nine-tails  was  the  most  usual  sequel  to  striking  an  officer, 
no  matter  what  the  provocation. 

The  prisoner  thus  acquires  a  character  that  follows  him 
to  the  public  works  prison,  and  causes  him  to  be  specially 
watched  and  reported  for  every  trifle,  particularly  if  he  gets 


408  A   SYSTEM    TO   BE    REVERSED. 

his  officer  down  on  him  ;  then  he  is  likely  to  be  in  hot  water  the 
whole  term  of  his  sentence.  He  loses  all  his  remission,  and 
undergoes  punishments  which  cause  his  death,  unless  he  has 
an  iron  constitution,  and  even  the  strongest  often  succumb. 

During  this  period  of  his  imprisonment,  just  as  he  has 
been  judicially  choked  off  from  the  full  supply  of  food  to 
which  he  had  been  accustomed,  the  prison  allowance  is  less 
than  it  is  afterwards.  It  is  not  a  good  system  —  rather,  an 
absurd  one  —  that  keeps  a  prisoner  for  the  first  nine  months 
engaged  in  a  sedentary  occupation,  shut  close  in  a  cell,  during 
which  time  he  is  not  permitted  the  slightest  intercourse  with 
his  fellows.  He  seldom  hears  a  voice  except  in  the  chapel  on 
Sundays.  Then  he  is  sent  to  the  public  works  prisons  — 
Dartmoor,  Portsmouth,  Portland,  Chatham,  or  Wormwood 
Scrubs  —  and  set  to  work  out  of  doors,  with  a  party  of  men 
who  mutually  corrupt  one  another  with  tales  of  their  knavish 
adventures,  interspersed  with  the  vilest  language  —  for  there 
are  some  in  every  gang  who  cannot  open  their  mouths  with- 
out giving  vent  to  obscenities  and  blasphemies. 

Under  the  present  English  system,  the  last  few  months 
are  made  as  easy  and  pleasant  as  possible  to  the  home-going 
prisoner.  This  is  precisely  the  portion  of  his  sentence  which 
he  should  be  made  to  feel  acutely  as  the  most  severe,  in  order 
that  when  he  recovers  his  liberty,  it  may  be  with  an  abiding 
sense  of  the  hardships  of  prison  life.  It  would  be  a  wiser 
system  which  gives  him  at  once  all  the  usual  prison  privileges, 
and  which  winds  up  with  putting  him,  during  the  last  month 
of  his  penal  term,  on  a  limited  diet  in  solitary  confinement. 

The  following  letter  from  an  officer  of  a  banking  company 
embodies  a  complaint  as  to  the  inequality  of  the  sentences 
passed  for  crimes,  such  as  forgery.  The  view  of  the  writer  is 
in  a  great  degree  sound,  being  unquestionably  that  sentimental 
or  impulsive  insinuations  are  allowed,  from  the  lowest  to  the 
highest  courts,  to  influence  to  a  most  injurious  extent  the 
treatment  of  criminal  cases.  When  he  insists,  however,  that 
all  cases  of  forgery  being  the  same  in  principle,  no  distinction 


W^^lM- 


''W   mi  \  :■  )        ^  d  I 


!-■';  1^1.4 


ii- 


'"'  '\M0^': 


>(  -;-i— c 


in-Kil'f 


LETTER  FROM  A   BANK   OFFICER.  499 

should  be  drawn  between  any  of  them,  he  will  find  few  to 

concur  with  him: 

London,  Sept.  2,  1873. 

Sir,  —  In  an  article  on  Friday  last  The  Times  very  properly 
stated  that  the  recent  forgery  case  has  created  a  very  great  sensa- 
tion. The  sentence  also  has  taken  many  people  by  surprise.  Such 
men,  no  doubt,  deserve  to  be  severely  dealt  with,  but  the  question 
arises,  are  not  all  cases  of  forgery  the  same  in  principle,  and  ought 
not  the  same  punishment  to  be  meted  out,  whether  the  Bank  of 
England  are  prosecutors  or  other  institutions  of  lesser  importance  ? 
Cases  of  forgery  are  not  uncommon,  but  the  sentences  will  bear 
no  comparison  with  the  one  now  referred  to.  We  had  within  the 
last  six  months  to  prosecute  a  man  for  forgery.  He  had  been 
moving  in  apparent  respectability,  and  in  certain  circles  was  well 
known  and  respected,  but  for  some  time  his  success  had  been  the 
result  of  forgery.  He  had  not  long  been  a  customer  of  ours  when 
we  took  the  precaution  to  forward  to  the  acceptor  the  bill  of 
exchange  for  verification  of  signature  ;  the  fraud  was  thus  discov- 
ered. [If  the  Bank  of  England  had  taken  that  very  necessary 
precaution,  the  fraud  would  have  been  discovered  with  the  first 
deposit  of  forged  bills  for  discount.  —  G.  B.]  We  afterwards 
went  to  the  trouble  and  incurred  the  expense  of  the  prosecution. 
The  man  pleaded  guilty  and  received  a  sentence  of  twelve  months 
imprisonment  only,  the  expenses  of  the  prosecution  amounting  to 
nearly  £50.  We  need  scarcely  say  had  we  thought  for  one  mo- 
ment that  such  a  light  sentence  would  have  been  passed,  we  should 
have  saved  our  money  and  time  also,  and  our  quondam  customer 
might  have  gone  to  practice  elsewhere.  We  have  before  us  an- 
other case,  but  we  entertain  doubts  whether  it  would  be  worth  the 
annoyance  and  expense  to  prosecute,  for,  comparing  the  sentence 
just  passed  with  many  others  of  recent  date,  I  ask:  What  is  for- 
gery ?  Is  it  a  thing  of  degree  ?  It  may  be,  but  between  a  sen- 
tence of  twelve  months  for  forgery  and  a  sentence  of  penal  servi- 
tude for  life  for  the  same  thing  there  is  a  great  gulf.  Does  the 
prestige  of  a  great  institution  fill  up  the  chasm  ? 

I  am  sir,  yours  obediently, 

"H."  (Bank  Manager.) 

While  not  in  the  least  degree  wishing  to  palliate  any 
crime,   I  cannot   let  the  above  letter   pass  without   asking 


410  ''LENGTH  OF  THE  JUDGE'S  FOOT.'' 

whether,  from  a  moral  point  of  view,  the  bank  forgery  was 
so  bad  as  in  the  majority  of  cases  when  advantage  is  taken 
of  a  confidential  position,  betraying  a  confiding  employer; 
or  even  in  the  case  referred  to  by  the  bank  manager,  where 
the  operator  took  advantage  of  a  bank  whom  the  manager 
had  trusted  on  the  strength  of  his  known  character,  obtained 
in  all  probability  through  years  of  mutual  business  transac- 
tions ? 

In  our  case  no  such  advantages  were  taken,  the  bank 
being  entire  strangers,  even  to  our  names. 

I  know  a  man,  Niblo  Clark,  who  has  just  completed  a 
term  of  penal  service  of  fifteen  years  for  stealing  two  coats. 
I  know  another  now  serving  seven  years  for  stealing  a  shirt. 
The  officers  of  the  Glasgow  Bank,  who  perpetrated  the  frauds 
which  caused  its  failure,  and  the  consequent  ruin  of  thou- 
sands, many  of  whom  were  widows  with  children,  got  but 
one  and  two  years,  and  while  in  prison  did  no  work,  but  had 
every  thing  made  easy  for  them  by  wealthy  relatives.  Such 
contrasts  are  kept  constantly  before  the  eyes  of  prisoners, 
and  they  complain  bitterly  that  because  they  are  poor  and 
without  friends  they  get  heavy  sentences  for  the  least  infrac- 
tion of  the  law,  while  those  of  an  opposite  social  condition 
can  steal  on  a  mammoth  scale  with  comparative  immunity 
from  punishment. 

See  also  on  the  same  subject  the  following  from  the  Lon- 
don Times  of  May  14,  1873 : 

THE  LENGTH  OF  THE  JUDGE'S  FOOT. 

London,  May  13,  1873. 

Sir,  —  Permit  me  to  call  attention  to  the  inequality  of  the  sen- 
tences  passed  on  two  persons  charged  with  the  same  offense,  whose 
trials  were  reported  in  the  Times  on  Friday,  the  9th  of  May. 
WilUam  Alexander  Roberts,  stockbroker,  was  indicted  for  forg- 
ing and  uttering  a  check  for  £11,500,  with  intent  to  defraud  the 
Consohdated  Bank. 

David  Swanson,  a  merchant,  was  indicted  for  forging  and  utter- 
ing two  bills  of  exchange  with  intent  to  defraud.     In  the  first  case 


COMPARISON  OF  SENTENCES.  ^W 

all  the  facts  were  disclosed,  a  verdict  of  "guilty"  was  returned, 
and  Mr.  Justice  Denman  observed  that  "the  prisoner  had  been 
guilty  of  a  terrible  fraud  and  a  most  wicked  act,  for  which  the 
sentence  must  be  severe,"  and  ordered  the  prisoner  to  be  kept  in 
penal  servitude  for  twelve  years.  In  the  second  case  the  prisoner 
pleaded  "guilty."  The  facts  therefore  were  not  disclosed  in  open 
court,  and  it  is  presumable  the  judge,  Mr.  Commissioner  Kerr,  was 
not  acquainted  with  them,  for  the  prisoner  was  sentenced  to  eight- 
een months  hard  labor.  Mr.  Roberts,  the  stockbroker,  forged  a 
check  and  got  money  by  that  means. 

Mr.  Swanson,  the  merchant,  forged  bills  of  exchange,  and,  get- 
ting them  discounted,  likewise  obtained  money.  Surely,  both  men 
committed  the  same  offense.  How  can  it  be  reconciled  that  one  of 
them  should  remain  twelve  years  in  penal  servitude,  the  other 
escape  with  eighteen  months  imprisonment  ? 

Yours  faithfully,  H.  P. 

I  became  acquainted  with  the  Alexander  Roberts  referred  to 
in  the  foregoing  letter,  in  Newgate  jail  while  we  were  awaiting 
trial.  He  appeared  to  be  about  twenty-two  years  of  age,  well 
educated,  and  a  well-disposed  young  man.  He  was  refined  in 
his  manners  and  speech,  and  had  evidently  enjoyed  the  privi- 
lege of  being  brought  up  surrounded  by  good  associations. 
During  the  hour's  daily  exercise  in  an  inner  court  of  Newgate, 
as  shown  in  the  illustration,  I  talked  .with  him  repeatedly 
and  was  quite  interested  in  his  story.  I  will  not  go  into  it 
here  farther  than  to  say  that  it  was  the  usual  one  of  having 
fallen  into  bad  —  genteel  bad  company  —  and  to  keep  up  "the 
style "  he  had  been  lured  on  to  the  result  as  above  detailed 
by  "  H.  P."  But  this  writer  was  not  aware  of  the  causes 
which  got  him  the  twelve  years.  These  were  of  a  similar 
nature  to  those  which  got  us  "  life,"  and  which  have  caused 
the  sentences  of  many  a  poor  wretch  to  be  doubled  above 
what  the  nature  of  the  case  would  otherwise  have  warranted. 
As  I  distinctly  remember  the  substance  of  his  account  I  will 
let  him  relate  it : 

"  While  awaiting  trial  here,  I  was  taken  several  times  in 


412  THE    CASE    OF  ROBERTS. 

charge  of  warders,  to  the  law  courts,  which  are  some  dis- 
tance away,  to  give  evidence  in  some  suits  regarding  the 
settlement  of  my  business.  In  thinking  over  the  matter  I 
resolved  the  next  time  I  should  be  taken  out  of  Newgate  that 
I  would  make  a  run  for  it.  Of  course  before  I  am  tried  and 
convicted  I  am  in  citizen's  clothes,  and  I  thought  if  I  could 
dodge  around  a  corner  I  could  have  a  fair  chance  of  making 
good  my  escape.  Therefore,  yesterday  (about  the  1st  of  May, 
1873)  they  jDut  on  handcuffs,  as  before,  and  sent  me  out  into 
the   streets  in  charge  of   warder  Smith.     At  the  corner   of 

Street  I  made  a  dive  and  got  some  distance  away,  but 

the  handcuffs  impeded  my  flight,  and  as  I  turned  the  next 
corner  I  ran  plump  into  the  arms  of  a  policeman." 

That  is  the  true  reason  why  Alexander  Roberts  received  a 
term  of  twelve  years  penal  servitude.  That  is  the  reason 
why  he  was  ironed  hands  and  feet ;  and  I  saw  him  walking 
through  the  inner  open-air  court  (open  to  the  sky  alone)  in 
which  I  was  exercising,  with  chains  clanking  at  every  step.  I 
can  never  forget  the  look  of  mental  agony,  mingled  with  a 
pitiful  smile  of  recognition,  which  he  cast  upon  me  as  he 
passed  within  a  few  feet,  on  his  way  to  undergo  the  convict's 
doom  —  a  way  which  we  four  Americans  followed  three 
months  later  in  exactly  the  same  awful  plight,  and  for  the 
same  alleged  reason  —  attempting  to  escape. 

I  may  add  that  afterwards  at  the  Pentonville  prison  I  corre- 
sponded with  him  by  means  of  writing  on  small  pieces  of  slate- 
stone  picked  up  in  the  yard ;  of  course  this  was  done  at  the 
risk  of  three  days'  bread  and  water. 


Chapter  XXXVIII. 


DR.  VANE  C.  CLARKE  —  EFFECTS  OF  SOLITUDE  ON  MY  MIND — A  DESPERATE 
PLAN  TO  ESCAPE  —  A  CONVICT  IMBECILE  —  STAR  MEN  —  OTHER  CLASSES  OF  CON- 
VICTS—  THEIR  DRESS  AND  FOOD  —  REMISSION  MARKS  —  REGULATIONS — PRO- 
GRESSIVE STAGES — SCHEDULE  OF  DIETARIES. 

AS  before  stated,  Dr.  Vane  C.  Clarke  had  relieved  me 
from  oakum-picking,  and  had  me  put  at  sewing,  or  in 
prison  parlance,  tailoring,  which  includes  patching,  and  any 
work  requiring  the  use  of  a  needle.  I  had  for  some  years 
been  troubled  with  dyspepsia,  lumbago,  and  throat  complaint. 
The  nature  of  the  prison  food  aggravated  the  first,  and  the 
damp  atmosphere  of  the  English  climate,  the  others.  As  the 
winter  approached  I  became  worse.  Owing  to  the  complete 
and  sudden  change  in  my  mode  of  life,  in  regard  to  food  and 
clothing,  I  suffered  extremely  from  the  cold,  and  was  con- 
stantly sick  from  the  effects  of  the  food,  and  after  I  had  been 
a  few  months  in  Pentonville's  solitary  cells,  I  felt  sure  that  I 
should  soon  die,  unless  I  had  a  change  of  some  kind  —  and  a 
change  I  determined  to  have.  At  that  period  of  my  impris- 
onment, I  had  no  knowledge  of  English  prison  life,  nor  of  the 
severity  with  which  trivial  offenses  were  punished,  and  espe- 
cially attempts  to  escape. 

A  few  days  previously,  the  doctor  had  ordered  me  to  be 
weighed,  and  the  principal  warder  in  charge  of  the  Infirmary, 
which  was  in  a  separate  building,  came  to  my  cell  in  the 
prison,  and  took  me  out  across  the  yard  to  a  small  cottage 
where  the  scales  were  kept.  As  I  passed  back  and  forth  1 
observed  that  this  was  one  of  several  uninhabited  cottages 
which  had  been  enclosed  within  the  walls,  which  were  about 

(413) 


414  ^  FORLORN  HOPE. 

thirty  feet  in  height.  One  of  these  passed  along  near  the 
rear  of  the  cottages.  There  were  a  number  of  long  poles 
lying  about  near  the  foot  of  the  wall,  such  as  builders  use  to 
support  their  scaffolds.  In  crossing  the  yard,  I  saw  no  one, 
and  we  entered  the  cottage,  went  up  stairs,  and  after  being 
weighed,  I  was  marched  back  to  my  cell.  The  time  occupied 
about  fifteen  minutes,  and  1  saw  no  one  else  during  the  whole 
operation,  except  the  warder  who  was  with  me.  I  had  no 
sooner  returned  to  my  cell,  than  my  thoughts  began  to  dwell 
on  all  I  had  observed,  and  I  thought  to  myself  :  "  There  are  a 
good  many  foggy  days,  and  in  that  isolated  cottage  it  would 
not  be  impossible  for  me  to  throw  dust  in  the  warder's  eyes, 
slip  a  gag  into  his  mouth,  and  after  having  stripped  off  his 
clothes  for  myself,  tie  his  elbows  behind  his  back,  and  his  feet 
to  the  scales  or  stair-railings.  In  the  fog,  I  could  easily  place 
one  of  the  poles  against  the  wall  unobserved,  climb  to  the 
top,  and  drop  into  the  street." 

Sometimes  there  was  little  or  no  sewing  to  be  done,  and 
the  bundle  of  oakum  had  been  left  that  I  might  pick  away  upon 
it  during  such  intervals,  but  I  could  not,  according  to  the  doc- 
tor's order,  be  compelled  to  do  that  work.  I  selected  a  suita- 
ble piece  of  dry,  old  tarred  rope,  six  inches  long,  that  I  thought 
would  answer  for  a  gag.  Out  of  the  picked-rope  fibre,  I  made 
stout  strings,  and  fastened  two  on  the  ends  of  the  gag,  so  that 
they  could  be  tied  behind  the  warder's  neck,  and  thus  secure 
the  gag  in  his  mouth.  I  also  saved  some  of  the  strings  for  the 
purpose  of  binding  his  hands  and  feet,  and  collected  a  quan- 
tity of  rope  tar-dust  to  throw  in  his  eyes.  I  concealed  all  but 
the  gag-piece  in  the  toes  of  my  brogans,  which  were  of  so 
unfashionable  a  size  that  this  pound  of  stuffing  made  them 
fit  perfectly.  I  then  waited  for  a  favorable  opportunity  — 
that  is  to  say,  a  dark  foggy  day,  of  which  there  are  plenty  in 
London,  especially  in  the  winter.  On  the  morning  of  just 
such  a  day,  I  put  my  name  down  for  the  doctor,  and  when  he 
came  I  complained  about  my  food  causing  me  so  much  dis- 
tress, and  that  I  was  losing  weight.     As  I  anticipated,  he 


THE   SITUATION  CRITICAL.  4;[5 

ordered  the  warder  to  weigh  me.  I  instantly  prepared  every 
thing  and  held  my  right  hand  full  of  dust. 

About  eleven  o'clock  he  came,  and  as  before  we  passed 
through  the  yard  toward  the  cottage,  I  peering  into  the  fog  to 
see  if  the  coast  was  clear  —  which  it  appeared  to  be  —  and  I 
began  saying  to  myself :  "  Courage,  George !  within  ten  min- 
utes you  will  be  a  free  man  or  a  corpse  !  This  warder  seems 
a  very  nice  fellow,  and  I  must  be  careful  not  to  make  the 
mistake  that  O'Neil  and  his  party  did  at  Sing  Sing,  and  choke 
him  to  death  by  drawing  the  gag-strings  unintentionally  too 
tight  around  his  neck."  In  the  midst  of  this  soliloquy,  just 
as  we  neared  the  cottage,  something  caught  my  eye,  and  on 
looking  again  I  saw  the  indistinct  form  of  a  guard  standing 
under  the  wall  near  the  spot  where  I  had  intended  to  scale  it. 

I  comprehended  that  it  was  customary  to  put  on  a  guard 
during  foggy  weather,  and  it  was  fortunate  that  I  caught 
sight  of  him  before  entering  the  cottage.  After  having  per- 
petrated an  outrage  on  the  warder,  even  if  successful,  I  should 
have  been  obliged  to  surrender  to  the  guard,  and  besides  a 
flogging  with  the  cat-o'-nine-tails  (which  many  prisoners  who 
have  undergone  it  informed  me  took  off  a  strip  of  skin  at  each 
stroke),  I  should  have  been  put  in  chains  and  kept  under 
punishment  of  some  sort  as  long  as  I  lived. 

My  only  anxiety  now  was  that  the  warder  should  not  dis- 
cover, Avhile  weighing  me,  anything  to  arouse  his  suspicion ; 
for  I  had  sufficient  contraband  articles  about  me  to  insure  the 
yellow  dress  and  chains  for  six  months.  Even  the  sight  of 
my  closed  hand  might  cause  him  to  order  it  opened,  and  the 
dust  therein  lead  to  further  search.  I  had  to  take  my  shoes 
off  to  be  weighed,  and  as  the  other  articles  had  been  trans- 
ferred from  them  to  my  pockets,  I  took  occasion  to  empty  the 
dust  into  my  shoe,  and  got  back  to  my  cell  without  discovery. 

I  have  since  thought  that  had  the  guard  escaped  my 
notice,  the  attempt  might  have  led  to  murder ;  for  in  cases 
of  that  kind  the  aQ:oTessor,  throudi  excitement  and  fear  of 
consequences,   frequently    goes    farther    than    he    originally 


416  BRUTALITY. 

intended.  Burglars  do  not  usually  —  perhaps  never  —  intend 
the  murders  they  commit;  and  all  such  serve  to  show  that 
there  is  no  knowing  how  far  the  least  coquetting  with  evil 
may  lead.  In  this  case,  I  had  got  my  mind  fixed  on  freedom, 
and  of  course  the  overthrow  of  my  hopes  cast  me  for  a  time 
back  into  despair. 

Among  those  who  were  sent  out  into  the  same  yard  to 
exercise,  I  noticed  a  youth  of  about  sixteen,  w^ho  appeared 
to  be  almost  a  complete  imbecile.  Instead  of  turning  out 
through  the  door,  he  would  continue  to  walk  straight  up  the 
ward  until  an  officer  caught  and  turned  him  in  the  right 
direction.  Every  day  when  the  exercise  was  over,  and  the 
order  given  to  march  in,  he  would  continue  marching  around 
the  small  circle  until  an  officer  turned  him  into  the  path  that 
led  to  the  entrance.  One  day  he  and  I  were  the  last  to  start, 
and  an  old  assistant  warder,  supposing  that  all  were  on  the 
way  in  with  their  faces  turned  away,  went  to  him  and  began 
kickins:  him  with  his  heavv,  hob-nailed  boots.  Co-uld  this 
act  have  been  proved  against  him  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
superior  authorities,  he  would  have  been  discharged  from  the 
service.  But  these  are  bound  to  take  the  word  of  a  prison 
warder  rather  than  that  of  prisoners,  and  the  moral  level  of 
very  many  is  such  that  they  do  not  scruple  to  make  such 
statements  as  are  necessary  to  clear  themselves.  This  will 
appear  more  fully  as  my  narrative  proceeds. 

About  the  middle  of  January,  1873,  my  sufferings  from 
cold  became  so  clear  to  the  observation  of  the  experienced 
and  noble-hearted  medical  officer.  Dr.  Vane  C.  Clarke,  that 
he  ordered  me  to  be  put  into  a  cell,  one  of  the  inner  walls  of 
which  formed  a  portion  of  the  flue  which  led  from  the  boiler 
furnace  beneath  my  cell.  Here  I  was  very  comfortable  as 
regards  warmth,  but  suffering  greatly  from  dyspepsia,  con- 
stantly aggravated  by  the  prison  food. 

Convicts  during  the  first  year  are  in  the  probation  class, 
nine  months  of  it  at  the  solitary  confinement  prisons,  Penton- 
ville  or  Millbank,  during  which  time  they  are  allowed   no 


PRISONERS'  PROMOTION.  417 

remission.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  they  are  removed 
to  the  public  works  prisons  before  named,  and  in  case  they 
have  been  well  conducted  are  promoted  to  the  third  class, 
which  is  distinguished  by  black  facings  around  the  cuffs  and 
collar  of  the  jacket.  The  diet  is  unchanged,  except  that  they 
are  allowed  an  increase  of  two  ounces  of  bread  daily,  and 
they  can  receive  a  visit  for  twenty  minutes,  and  write  a  letter 
once  in  six  months. 

After  being  a  year  in  the  third,  if  well  conducted,  they 
are  promoted  into  the  second  class,  which  is  distinguished  by 
yellow  facings.  In  this  class  they  are  allowed  one  pint  of 
tea  vice  gruel,  two  ounces  of  bread  extra,  and  also  a  visit 
of  thirty  minutes,  and  may  write  a  letter  once  in  four  months. 
After  another  year,  with  good  conduct,  they  are  promoted 
into  the  first  class,  which  is  distinguished  by  blue  facings,  and 
carries  with  it  the  maximum  amount  of  bread,  twenty-four 
ounces  per  day,  an  increase  of  two  ounces  in  each  class. 

Every  prisoner  has  a  letter  and  numbers  on  his  arm.  The 
letter  represents  the  year  in  which  he  was  convicted ;  thus 
"  Z  1084.  20,"  in  a  circle,  on  the  arm  above  the  elbow  (see 
cut  Prisoners  at  Exercise),  denote  the  year  1873,  the  wearer 
being  the  1084th  man  convicted  that  year,  and  his  sentence 
twenty  years. 

Those  whom  the  authorities  suppose  never  to  have  had 
another  conviction  wear  a  red  star  above  the  circle  on  the 
arm,  and  are  kept  apart  from  old  "  lags."  In  this  the  inten- 
tion is  good,  but  a  great  many  of  the  younger  succeed, 
through  the  changes  of  appearance  as  they  grow  older,  in 
concealing  their  former  convictions,  and  mingling  with  the 
genuine  "  star "  men  render  futile  most  of  the  precautions 
adopted  for  their  protection  against  the  contagion  of  the 
ordinary  English  prison  associations. 

By  this  system  each  man  can,  by  good  conduct  and  hard 

labor,  earn  eight  marks  a  day ;  or,  deducting  the  first  nine 

months  (upon  which  no  remission  is  allowed),  one  quarter 

of  his  sentence.     Six  of  the  eight  marks  represent  his  full 

27 


413  OFFENSES  AND  PUNISHMENTS, 

sentence,  so  that  if  he  is  credited  with  seven  marks  a  day  he 
gets  one  month  of  every  eight  remission ;  if  eight,  then  two 
of  every  eight.  Thus,  a  man  with  a  sentence  of  four  years 
and  nine  months,  would  get  remission  on  the  four  years. 
Light  work  would  give  seven  marks  a  day  or  six  months,  and 
hard  work  eight  marks,  or  twelve  months'  remission.  It 
will  be  perceived  that  the  two  marks  a  day  are  all  that  can 
be  gained,  the  other  six  counting  for  nothing. 

The  official  punishments  were  flogging  with  the  cat-o'- 
nine  tails  and  birch  rods,  chains,  the  crank,  the  tread-mill, 
straight-jackets,  galvanic  battery,  and  another  very  shock- 
ing, the  shower-bath,  also  bread  and  water,  and  penal-class 
diet.  This  diet  consisted  of  one  pint  of  good  oatmeal  por- 
ridge for  breakfast  and  supper,  and  one  pound  of  boiled 
potatoes  for  dinner.  In  case  a  man  received  a  sentence  of 
bread  and  water  (only  one  pound  of  bread  per  day)  for 
more  than  three  days,  every  fourtli  day  he  must  have  this 
diet.  If  the  offense  consisted  in  tearing  up  either  his  wear- 
ing apparel  or  bedding,  besides  the  chance  of  a  flogging  and 
the  punishment  of  bread  and  water,  he  would  lose  from 
eighty  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  marks,  representing  from 
forty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  days'  remission,  at  two 
marks  per  day ;  also  to  wear  the  parti-colored  dress,  one 
side  from  top  to  toe  black  and  the  other  buff.  In  case  he 
tore  these  up,  he  was  then  forced  to  wear  a  suit  made  of 
double-sewed  heavy  sail  canvas,  that  he  could  not  tear. 

Any  attempt  to  escape  brought  bread  and  water,  heavy 
band-irons  riveted  on  the  ankles  and  connected  by  a  chain 
three  feet  long,  the  whole  weighing  from  eight  to  sixteen 
pounds — and  also  the  parti-colored  dress  of  yellow  and  buff. 

The  punishment  for  violence  against  any  prison  authority, 
striking  a  warder,  or  any  like  offense,  incurred  a  terrible  pen- 
alty:  bread  and  water — six  or  twelve  months  (perhaps  more) 
penal-class  diet  —  three  dozen  strokes  of  the  flesh-cutting  cat- 
o'-nine  tails,  and  very  likely  the  ankle-irons  for  six  or  twelve 
months,  besides  the  ex  officio  preliminary  "  doing "  by  the 
warders. 


PRISON  REGULATIONS.  4J^9 

L.  P.  ABSTRACT   OF   THE   REGULATIONS 

D.  30.  EELATING    TO    THE 

TREATMENT   AND   CONDUCT   OF   CONVICTED 
CRIMINAL   PRISONERS. 

1.  Prisoners  shall  not  disobey  the  orders  of  the  governor  or  of 
any  officer  of  the  prison,  nor  treat  them  with  disrespect. 

2.  They  shall  preserve  silence,  and  are  not  to  cause  annoyance 
or  disturbance  by  making  unnecessary  noise. 

3.  They  shall  not  communicate,  or  attempt  to  do  so,  with  one 
another,  or  with  any  strangers  or  others  who  may  visit  the  prison. 

4.  They  shall  not  disfigure  any  part  of  their  cells,  or  damage 
any  property,  or  deface,  erase,  destroy,  or  pull  down  any  rules  or 
other  papers  hung  up  therein,  or  commit  any  nuisance,  or  have  in 
their  cells  or  possession  any  article  not  sanctioned  by  the  orders 
and  regulations. 

5.  They  shall  not  be  idle  nor  feign  sickness  to  evade  their 
work. 

6.  They  shall  not  be  guilty  of  profane  language,  of  indecent  or 
irreverent  conduct,  nor  shall  they  use  threats  towards,  or  commit 
assaults  upon  officers  or  one  another. 

7.  They  shall  obey  such  regulations  as  regards  washing,  bathing, 
hair-cutting,  and  shaving  as  may  from  time  to  time  be  estabhshed 
with  a  view  to  the  proper  maintenance  of  health  and  cleanliness. 

8.  They  shall  keep  their  cells,  u4:ensils,  clothing,  and  bedding 
clean  and  neatly  arranged,  and  shall,  when  required,  clean  and 
sweep  the  yards,  passages,  and  other  parts  of  the  prison. 

9.  If  any  prisoner  has  any  complaint  to  make  regarding  the 
diet,  it  must  be  made  immediately  after  a  meal  is  served,  and  be- 
fore any  portion  of  it  is  eaten.  Frivolous  and  groundless  com- 
plaints repeatedly  made  will  be  dealt  with  as  a  breach  of  prison 
discipline. 

10.  A  prisoner  may,  if  required  for  purposes  of  justice,  be 
photographed. 

11.  Prisoners  shall  attend  Divine  Service  on  Sundays  and  other 
days  when  such  service  is  performed,  unless  they  receive  permission 
to  be  absent.  No  prisoner  shall  be  compelled  to  attend  the  religious 
services  of  a  Church  to  which  he  does  not  belong. 

12.  The  following  offenses  committed  by  male  prisoners  con- 


420  ^^  ^  UL  AT  IONS  —  CO  NT  IN  UED. 

victed  of  felony  or  sentenced  to  hard  labor  will  render  them  liable 
to  corporal  punishment  [meaning  birch  or  cat-o'-nine-tails]:  — 

1st.  Mutiny  or  open  incitement  to  mutiny  in  the  prison,  personal 
violence  to  any  officer  of  the  prison,  aggravated  or  repeated 
assault  on  a  fellow-prisoner,  repetition  of  insulting  or  threat- 
ening language  to  any  officer  or  prisoner. 
2d.   Willfully  or  maliciously  breaking  the  prison  windows,  or 

otherwise  destroying  prison  property. 
3d.  When  under  punishment  willfully  making  a  disturbance 
tending  to  interrupt  the  order  and  discipline  of  the  prison, 
and  any  other  acts  of  gross  misconduct  requiring  to  be  sup- 
pressed by  extraordinary  means. 

13.  A  prisoner  committing  a  breach  of  any  of  the  regulations 
is  liable  to  be  sentenced  to  confinement  in  a  punishment  cell,  and 
such  dietary  and  other  punishments  as  the  rules  allow. 

14.  Any  gratuity  granted  to  a  prisoner  may  be  paid  to  him 
through  a  prisoners'  aid  society,  or  in  such  way  as  the  commission- 
ers may  direct. 

15.  Prisoners  may,  if  they  desire  it,  have  an  interview  with 
the  governor  or  superior  authority  to  make  complaints  and  prefer 
requests,  and  the  governor  shall  redress  any  grievance,  or  take  such 
steps  as  may  seem  necessary. 

1 6.  Any  prisoners  wishing  to  see  a  member  of  the  visiting  com- 
mittee, shall  be  allowed  to  do  so  on  the  occasion  of  his  next  occur- 
ring visit  to  the  prison. 

Printed  at  H.M.  Convict  Prison,  Milibank.     9—7.     (621.) 

L.  P.  SYSTEM   OF  PROGRESSIVE   STAGES 

D.  76.  FOR   MALE   PRISONERS 

SENTENCED   TO   HARD   LABOR. 

1.  A  prisoner  shall  be  able  to  earn  on  each  week-day  8,  7,  or  6 
marks,  according  to  the  degree  of  his  industry;  and  on  Sundays 
he  shall  be  awarded  marks  according  to  the  degree  of  his  industry 
during  the  previous  week. 

2.  There  shall  be  four  stages,  arid  every  prisoner  shall  pass 
through  them,  or  through  so  much  of  them  as  the  term  of  his 
imprisonment  admits. 

3.  He  shall  commence  in  the  first  stage,  and  shall  remain  in  the 


SYSTEM  OF  PROGRESSIVE  STAGES.  421 

first  stage  until  lie  has  earned  28  x  8  ov  224  marks ;  in  the  second 
stage  until  he  has  earned  224  more  marks,  or  448  in  the  whole ; 
in  the  third  stage  until  he  has  earned  224  more  marks,  or  672 
in  the  whole  ;  in  the  fourth  stage  during  the  remainder  of  his 
sentence. 

4.  A  prisoner  whose  term  of  imprisonment  is  twenty-eight 
days,  or  less,  shall  serve  the  whole  of  his  term  in  the  first  stage. 

5.  A  prisoner  who  is  idle,  or  misconducts  himself,  or  is  inat- 
tentive  to  instruction,  shall  be  liable  :  — 

(1.)  To  forfeit  gratuity  earned  or  to  be  earned. 

(2.)  To  forfeit  any  other  stage  privileges. 

(3.)  To  detention  in  the  stage  in  which  he  is  until  he  shall  have 
earned  in  that  stage  an  additional  number  of  marks. 

(4.)  To  degradation  to  any  lower  stage  (whether  such  stage  is 
next  below  the  one  in  which  he  is,  or  otherwise),  until  he  has 
earned  in  such  lower  stage  a  stated  number  of  marks.  As 
soon  as  the  prisoner  has  earned  the  stated  number,  then, 
unless  he  has  in  the  meantime  incurred  further  punishment, 
he  shall  be  restored  to  the  stage  from  which  he  was  degraded, 
and  be  credited  with  the  number  of  marks  he  had  previously 
earned  therein. 

6.  None  of  the  foregoing  punishments  shall  exempt  a  prisoner 
from  any  other  punishment  to  which  he  would  be  liable  for  conduct 
constituting  a  breach  of  prison  regulations. 

7.  A  prisoner  in  the  first  stage  will 

(a)  Be  employed  ten  hours  daily,  in  strict  separation,  on  first 
class  hard  labor,  of  which  six  to  eight  hours  will  be  on  crank, 
treadwheel,  or  work  of  a  similar  nature. 

(  &  )  Sleep  on  a  plank-bed,  without  mattress. 

(  c )  Earn  no  gratuity. 

8.  A  prisoner  in  the  second  stage  will 

( a )  Be  employed  as  in  the  first  stage  until  he  has  completed 
one  month  of  imprisonment,  and  afterwards  on  hard  labor 
of  the  second  class. 

( 5 )  Sleep  on  a  plank-bed,  without  a  mattress,  two  nights 
weekly,  and  have  a  mattress  on  the  other  nights. 

(  c )  Receive  school  instruction. 

( c? )  Have  school-books  in  his  cell. 


422  PROGRESSIVE  STAGES  —  CONTINUED. 

(  e  )  Have  exercise  on  Sunday. 

(/)  Be  able  to  earn  a  gratuity,  not  exceeding  one  shilling. 

( ^ )  The  gratuity  to  a  prisoner  in  this  stage,  whose  sentence  is 
not  long  enough  for  him  to  earn  244  marks  in  it,  may  be 
calculated  at  one  penny  for  every  20  marks  earned. 

9.  A  prisoner  in  the  third  stage  will 

(a)  Be  employed  on  second  class  hard  labor. 

(b)  Sleep  on  a  plank-bed,  without  a  mattress,  one  night  weekly, 
and  have  a  mattress  on  other  nights. 

(  c )  Receive  schooF  instruction. 

(c?)  Have  school-books  in  his  cell. 

(  e )  Have  library -books  in  his  cell. 

(/)  Have  exercise  on  Sunday. 

(^)  Be  able  to  earn  a  gratuity,  not  exceeding  Is.  Qd. 

(A)  The  gratuity  to  a  prisoner  in  this  stage,  whose  sentence  is 
not  long  enough  for  him  to  earn  244  marks  in  it,  may  be 
calculated  at  one  penny  for  every  12  marks  earned. 

10.  A  prisoner  in  the  fourth  stage  will 

(  a )  Be  eligible  for  employment  of  trust  in  the  prison. 

(  &  )  Sleep  on  a  mattress  every  night. 

(  c )  Receive  school  instruction. 
*     ( c? )  Have  school-books  in  his  cell. 

(  e  )  Have  library -books  in  his  cell. 

(/)  Have  exercise  on  Sunday. 

( ^  )  Be  allowed  to  write  and  receive  a  letter,  and  receive  a  visit 
of  twenty  minutes,  and  in  every  three  months  afterwards  to 
receive  and  write  a  letter  and  receive  a  visit  of  half  an  hour. 

(h)  Be  able  to  earn  a  gratuity  not  exceeding  two  shillings. 

(  ^ )  The  gratuity  to  a  prisoner  in  this  stage,  whose  sentence  is 
not  long  enough  for  him  to  earn  244  marks  in  it,  may  be 
calculated  at  one  penny  for  every  10  marks  earned. 

(y )  The  gratuity  to  a  prisoner  in  this  stage,  whose  sentence  is 
long  enough  to  enable  him  to  earn  more  than  896  marks,  may 
be  calculated  at  the  same  rate,  provided  that  it  shall  not  in 
any  case  exceed  ten  shillings. 

(  620 )  Printed  at  H.  M.  Convict  Prison,  Millbank.     9—7. 


DIETARY  TABLE, 


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426 


CLASSIFICATION  OF  DIETS. 


At  the  expiration  of  nine  months,  one  pint  of  cocoa  with  two 
ounces  extra  bread  may  be  given  at  breakfast  three  days  in  the 
week,  in  Heu  of  one  pint  of  porridge  or  gruel,  if  preferred. 

The  following  will  be  the  terms  to  which  the  above  diets  will  be 
applied : 

Prisoners  sentenced  to  seven  days 

and  under,  ..... 

Prisoners  sentenced  to  more  than 

seven  days,  and  not  more  than 

one  month,  .... 

more  than 
more  than 


No.  1  diet  for  whole  term. 


Prisoners  sentenced  to 
one  month,  and  not 
four  months,       .         .         .         . 

Prisoners  sentenced  to  more  than 
four  months,        .         .         .         . 


No.   1   diet  for   seven   days, 

and  No.  2  for  remainder  of 

term. 
No.   2  diet   for   one   month, 

and  No.  3  for  remainder  of 

term. 
No.  3  diet  for  four  months, 

and  No.  4  for  remainder  of 

term. 


Chapter  XXXIX. 


PRISON  AUTHORITIES — GOVERNORS  —  DOCTORS  —  DUTIES  OF  THE  CHIEF  WARDER  — 
WHY  WARDERS  ARE  FALSE  TO  THEIR  DUTIES  —  A  PERFECT  CONVICT  SYSTEM  "  ON 
PAPER"  —  CORRUPT  WARDERS  —  BRUTALITIES  KILL  AND  LEAVE  NO  MARK  — 
CONVICT  ROBINSON  KICKED  TO  DEATH  —  AN  HONEST  WARDER  DISCHARGED  AS 
INSANE  FOR  EXPOSING  THE  CRIME — RESULT  WHEN  CONVICTS  COMPLAIN  — 
"      ABSTRACT   OF  PRISON  REGULATIONS  —  CHARLES   DUDLEY   WARNER'S   OPINION. 

MY  narrative  has  now  reached  a  point  where  my  actual 
penal  servitude  begins,  and  it  will  be  well  to  present 
here  some  account  of  those  who  were  to  rule  my  life  for  so 
many  years. 

The  Board  of  Prison  Commissioners  have  their  head- 
quarters at  the  Home  Office  in  Parliament  Street,  London, 
and  are  under  the  control  of  the  Home  Secretary  of  State. 
One  of  these  visits  each  of  her  Majesty's  convict  establish- 
ments once  a  month,  in  order  to  try  any  cases  of  insubordina- 
tion which  are  of  too  serious  a  nature  for  the  governor  of  the 
prison  to  adjudicate  upon,  he  not  being  permitted  to  order 
any  penalty  beyond  a  few  days  of  bread  and  water,  and  loss 
of  a  limited  number  of  remission  marks. 

The  head  authority  at  each  prison  is  the  governor,  of 
whom  the  largest  establishments,  like  Portland,  have  two  ;  the 
smaller  one  ;  and  the  smallest  none.  Next  comes  the  deputy 
governors  —  the  medical  officer  and  an  assistant  doctor;  the 
chaplains  and  schoolmasters,  Protestant  and  Catholic.  There 
are  four  grades  of  prison  warders,  viz.,  the  chief  warder, 
principal  warders,  warders,  and  assistant  warders.  The  chief 
warder  of  course  stands  first  in  the  list,  and  his  duties,  if  hon- 
estly executed,  render  him  the  most  important,  as  he  is  the 
most  responsible  of  the  prison  officials,  save,  perhaps,  the  med- 

(427) 


428  ADMINISTRATIVE  POWER. 

ical  officer,  who  is  the  autocrat  of  the  place.  But,  in  case  any- 
thing goes  wrong,  he  is  the  man  who  gets  all  the  blame,  and 
when  matters  run  smoothly  and  well,  the  governor  gets  all  the 
thanks.  During  the  absence  of  the  governor,  the  deputy  takes 
his  place,  and  in  turn  the  chief  warder  performs  the  duties 
of  the  deputy  governor's  office.  As  all  business  passes  through 
the  chief's  hands,  he  must  be  a  fair  scholar,  though  sometimes 
a  principal  warder  who  understands  book-keeping  is  detailed 
to  assist  him.  He  must  be  of  strict  integrity,  a  thorough  dis- 
ciplinarian, and  of  a  character  to  make  him  respected  both 
by  his  superiors  and  inferiors  in  position.  The  warders  of 
all  grades  are  under  his  command,  and  must  fear  him  for  his 
inflexibility  in  punishing  any  breach  of  regulations,  and  have 
confidence  in  his  disposition  to  act  justly  toward  them,  he 
being  the  one  on  whom  the  governor  relies  for  all  information 
regarding  their  conduct.  It  is  on  the  reports  of  the  chief 
w^arder  that  the  governor  acts  in  all  cases  involving  their  pro- 
motion, reprimands,  or  fines,  and  their  applications  for  leave 
of  absence  must  be  approved  of  and  signed  by  him.  It  is 
clear  that  unless  he  is  very  straight  in  the  performance  of  his 
duties,  he  would  soon  place  himself  in  the  power  of  some  of 
the  warders,  who  would  not  fail  to  take  advantage  of  any 
knowledge  of  his  derelictions  to  benefit  themselves,  and  to  the 
detriment  of  discipline  and  good  order.  Under  the  English 
government,  the  salary  of  a  man  possessing  these  superior 
qualifications,  is  between  five  and  six  hundred  dollars  a  year 
and  his  uniform.  This  is  of  blue  cloth,  the  sleeves  and  collar 
of  the  coat  and  his  cap  embroidered  with  gold  lace.  On  alter- 
nate days,  at  the  prison  where  I  was  confined,  he  came  on 
duty  at  5  a.  m.  in  summer,  and  5.30  in  w^inter,  and  left  the 
prison  at  4  p.  m.,  leaving  in  charge  a  principal  warder,  com- 
ing on  duty  the  following  morning  at  7  a.  m.  At  6  o'clock 
P.  M.,  after  receiving  the  reports  from  the  ward  officers,  stat- 
ing the  number  of  prisoners  each  has  just  locked  up,  and 
thus  seeing  that  all  are  safe,  he  locks  with  his  master-key  the 
gates  and  outer  doors  of  the  main  buildings,  and  before  finally 


WARDERS.  429 

retiring  for  the  night  he  must  lock  the  outer  gate,  so  that  no 
one  but  the  governor  can  get  in  or  out  —  each  watchman  being 
locked  into  the  ward  which  he  is  set  to  guard.  There  are 
bells  in  his  room  connecting  with  the  various  wards,  and  in 
case  of  sickness  or  any  other  emergency,  he  is  the  man  who 
is  aroused.  It  is  the  chief  warder  who  keeps  everything  con- 
nected with  the  prison  in  running  order,  and  whatever  goes 
wrong  the  cry  is  for  the  chief,  and  he  is  sent  for  be  it  day  or 
night. 

In  a  large  convict  establishment  there  are  a  dozen  or  more 
principal  warders.  These  are  the  lieutenants  of  the  chief,  and 
have  general  supervision  of  the  working  parties.  Their  pay 
is  about  four  hundred  dollars  a  year  and  uniforms.  There 
are  of  the  other  two  grades,  warders  and  assistant  warders, 
from  two  to  three  thousand  employed  in  all  her  Majesty's 
prisons  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  Warders  and  assist- 
ant warders  are  provided  with  a  short,  heavy  truncheon, 
which  each  carries  in  his  hand,  or  in  a  leather  sheath  which 
hangs  from  his  belt,  to  which  is  also  attached  a  sort  of 
cartouch-box  in  which  he  keeps  the  keys,  which  are  fastened 
to  a  chain,  the  other  end  to  his  belt.  When  about  to  leave 
the  prison,  on  going  off  duty,  he  must  hang  up  the  belt  and 
attachments  in  the  chief  warder's  office.  Their  pay,  besides 
uniforms,  which  are  of  blue  cloth,  is  three  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  a  year  for  warders,  and  three  hundred  for  assistant 
warders.  All  promotions  are  by  seniority.  In  case  of  trans- 
fer by  the  authorities  to  any  other  prison,  they  retain  their 
position  in  the  line  of  promotion,  but  if  they  volunteer  or 
make  application  to  be  transferred,  they  have  to  begin  at  the 
bottom  in  reckoning  the  length  of  service  for  promotion. 
When  the  authorities  wish  to  transfer  warders,  it  is  usual  for 
them  to  call  for  volunteers,  of  whom  they  find  a  sufficient 
number  anxious  for  a  change,  unless  the  transfer  is  to  an 
unpopular  station,  such  as  Dartmoor,  which  is  among  the 
bogs,  and  a  lonely,  bleak  place. 

Warders  are  exempted  from  doing  night  duty,  which  is  all 


430  ^  ''DOG'S  life:* 

done  by  the  assistant  warders,  who  are  on  that  service  one 
week  out  of  three.  Although,  when  on  night  duty,  they  had 
the  day  for  sleep  and  recreation,  I  never  saw  one  who  did  not 
detest  it,  because  they  must  remain  on  duty  continuously  for 
twelve  hours,  and  must  not  read,  sit  down,  nor  lean  against 
anything,  nor  have  their  hands  behind  them,  but  must  remain 
standing  upright.  These  military  regulations  apply  as  well 
to  the  whole  time  they  are  on  duty  in  the  prison,  day  or 
night.  A  few  years  ago  the  time  of  daily  duty  was  reduced 
to  twelve  hours,  with  one  hour  at  noon  for  dinner.  Besides 
this,  at  times  they  must  do  a  good  deal  of  extra  duty.  Each 
is  allowed  ten  days  annual  holiday,  but  is  frequently  obliged 
to  take  it  piecemeal,  a  day  or  two  at  a  time,  so  that  he  cannot 
go  far  away  from  the  scene  of  his  servitude.  Their  duties 
require  unflagging  attention,  and  never-ceasing  vigilance, 
which  must  be  a  heavy  tax  on  the  brain,  and  the  twelve  hours 
must  be  passed  in  standing  or  walking  about.  In  fact,  they 
are  subjected  to  military  discipline,  or  rather  despotism,  and 
any  known  infraction  of  the  rules  subjects  them  to  penalties 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  offense.  Leaning  against  a 
wall,  sitting  down,  etc.,  for  a  first  offense,  they  are  mulcted  in 
a  small  sum — twelve  to  sixty  cents,  usually — and  are  put 
back  in  the  line  of  promotion.  The  fines  go  to  the  Officer's 
Library  fund.  I  knew  one  officer,  Joseph  Matthews,  who  had 
been  assistant  warder  twenty  years,  and  being  frequently  set 
back  for  doing  some  small  favor  to  prisoners,  was  dis- 
charged from  the  service  in  1886,  without  a  pension,  for  some 
slight  breach  of  regulations.  He  had  a  wife  and  six  children, 
and  had  worked  twenty  years  for  less  than  seven  dollars 
per  week.  For  giving  a  convict  a  small  bit  of  tobacco,  a  heavy 
fine,  suspension,  and  in  case  it  was  not  the  first  offense,  expul- 
sion from  the  service  without  a  pension.  For  acting  the  go- 
between,  and  facilitating  correspondence  with  the  friends  of 
convicts,  expulsion  —  possibly  imprisonment.  One  of  the 
assistant  warders,  who  was  convicted  of  having  received  a 
bribe  of  one  hundred  pounds  from  one  of  us  at  Newgate,  was 


ILL-PAID   SERVICE    UNPROFITABLE.  43;^ 

expelled  from  the  service  and  imprisoned  eighteen  months. 
Another  at  Portsmouth  prison  underwent  the  same  fate,  save 
that  his  term  was  but  six  months,  for  sending  and  receiving 
letters  for  a  prisoner,  and  similar  cases  are  of  frequent 
occurrence. 

The  warders  and  assistant  warders  are  the  ones  who  come 
in  direct  and  constant  contact  with  prisoners,  and  when  the 
eye  of  no  superior  authority  is  on  them,  or  nothing  else  to 
deter,  they  are  "hail  fellow  well  met"  with  such  of  the 
convicts  as  are  unprincipled  enough  to  curry  favor  with  and 
assist  them  in  covering  up  their  peccadilloes  from  their  supe- 
riors. They  naturally  recoil  at  the  hardness  and  parsimony 
of  the  government  toward  them,  evading  the  performance  of 
duties  when  they  can ;  and  I  have  heard  more  than  one  say, 
substantially,  in  reply  to  a  remark  that  I  was  surprised  that 
they  dared  be  so  lax  in  their  duties  and  permit  prisoners  to 
carry  on  as  they  did :  "  Why  should  we  care  what  prisoners 
do,  so  long  as  we  don't  get  into  trouble  ?  The  government 
grind  us  down  to  twelve  hours'  daily  duty  on  just  pay  enough 
to  keep  body  and  soul  together ;  then,  if  we  complain,  tell  us 
that  we  can  leave  if  we  like,  as  there  are  others  ready  to  step 
into  our  places.  Bah!  what  do  we  care  for  the  government? 
It  is  of  no  benefit  to  us ;  the  big-guns  get  big  pay,  and  the 
higher  up  the  office  the  more  the  pay  and  the  less  the  work. 
To  be  sure,  we  can  go  out  of  the  prison  to  sleep,  but  other- 
wise we  are  bound  down  as  closely  as  the  convicts,"  etc.,  etc. 
Yet  these  very  warders,  the  moment  any  superior  authority 
appears  on  the  scene,  are  as  obsequious  and  fawning  as 
whipped  dogs,  and  recoup  themselves  for  this  forced  humilia- 
tion by  "taking  it  out"  of  such  of  the  convicts  as  fail  to 
curry  their  favor,  or  offend,  or  make  them  trouble.  Surely 
their  office  is  a  very  responsible  one,  and  it  is  blind,  false 
economy  to  retain  low-priced  men  in  such  a  position.  The 
present  English  system  of  penal  servitude  is  perfect  on  paper, 
and  so  far  as  regards  cleanliness,  clothing,  and  quality  (not 
quantity)  of  food,  there  is  no  just  ground  for  fault-finding; 


432  UNFIT  TO  EXERCISE  PO  WER. 

but  the  moral  qualities  of  most  of  the  warders  and  assistant 
warders  precludes  all  possibility  of  the  reformation  of  those 
in  their  charge. 

Notwithstanding  the  expositions  of  the  English  delegates 
at  the  international  meetings,  prison  reform  has  never  yet 
been  tried  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  In  other  words,  all 
efforts  in  that  direction  have  been  defeated  by  placing  con- 
victs in  the  immediate  charge  of  a  class  of  men  who  by  edu- 
cation and  training  possess  none  of  the  qualifications  requisite 
for  such  a  responsible  position. 

In  so  far  as  forms  are  concerned,  the  business  of  the 
prison  is  carried  on  most  systematically.  There  are  blank 
forms  which  cover  everything,  from  provisioning  the  prison 
to  bathing  the  men,  Jind  these  must  be  filled  in  and  signed  by 
the  warder  in  charge  of  the  particular  work  being  done.  For 
example:  every  two  weeks — those  in  the  Infirmary  every 
week' — he  must  fill  in  the  proper  form,  and  certify  that 
every  man  in  his  ward  has  had  a  bath,  unless  exempted  by 
the  doctor.  At  Woking  prison  I  have  known  men  to  go 
unbathed  for  many  months,  simply  because  they  did  not  wish 
to  bathe,  and  it  saved  the  warder  trouble  —  nearly  all  others 
in  the  ward  only  bathed  about  once  a  month,  and  yet  at  the 
stated  times  the  officer  filled  up  and  signed  the  form,  certify- 
ing to  the  superior  authorities  that  those  in  his  ward  had  been 
bathed  at  the  regulation  times. 

A  great  majority  of  the  officers  employed  in  the  prisons 
and  jails  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  are  soldiers  who  have 
been  invalided  or  pensioned  off  after  doing  the  full  term  for 
which  they  enlisted  —  twelve  years  —  and  of  sailors  in  the 
same  condition.  In  order  to  encourage  enlistment  into  the 
army  and  navy,  the  government  gives  discharged  soldiers  and 
sailors  the  preference  in  the  civil  service,  apparently  heedless 
as  to  their  moral  qualifications.  Indeed,  it  would  be  difficult, 
if  not  impossible,  to  ascertain  about  these,  for^the  very  nature 
and  present  requirements  of  those  services  tend  to  harden  and 
make  men  conscienceless,  subservient,  and  fawning  toward 
their  superiors,  and  tyrannical  to  those  in  their  power. 


"»",-■'  "~T-?r 


PRINCIPAL    WAKDEKS,    WOKING    PRISON.       ^^^  ^;    MTtherell. 


ASSISTANT    WARDERS;    DARTMOOR    PRISON. 


TRUTH  SPOKEN  IN  JEST.  433 

As  to  those  in  the  prison  service,  there  are  many  who 
would  be  good  men  in  a  situation  suited  to  their  acquirements, 
and  there  are  but  a  few  of  those  who  are  brought  into  imme- 
diate contact  with  the  convicts — who,  in  fact,  virtually  hold 
the  power  of  life  and  death  over  them — whose  influence  is  of 
an  elevating  or  reforming  kind.  Indeed,  I  have  heard  many 
of  them  telling  or  exchanging  obscene  stories  with  prisoners, 
and  using  the  vilest  language  and  bandjang  thieves'  slang,  in 
which  they  become  proficients.  I  am  bold  to  say  that  at  least 
one-half  of  all  I  have  known  are  in  morals  on  a  level  with  the 
average  convict,  or,  as  I  have  heard  more  than  one  assistant 
warder  say,  "too  much  of  a  coward  to  steal,  ashamed  to  beg, 
and  too  lazy  to  work  "  —  therefore  became  a  soldier,  then  a 
prison  warder.  This  may,  at  the  moment,  have  been  spoken 
in  a  jesting  way,  but  it  is  none  the  less  true. 

What  can  be  expected,  in  the  way  of  refinement  and  good 
morals,  from  a  class  of  men  who  entered  the  army  or  navy, 
coming,  as  they  did  in  most  cases,  from  the  untaught  and 
mind-debased  multitude  with  which  that  land  of  drink  and 
debauchery  swarms  ? 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  very  much  is 
expected  from  them,  and  in  order  to  fulfill  the  very  hard 
terms  of  their  contract  with  the  government,  and  keep  their 
places,  they  are  forced  to  resort  to  trickery,  deception,  and 
perjury,  until  these,  in  their  attitude  toward  their  employer, 
the  government,  become  second-nature,  readily  resorting  to 
lies  to  clear  themselves  from  blame,  even  in  trivial  matters,  to 
save  themselves  from  a  sixpence  fine.  There  are  jealousies 
among  themselves,  but  when  it  is  a  question  of  deceiving,  or 
keeping  any  neglect  of  duties  or  violences  against  prisoners 
from  the  superior  authorities,  they  all  unite  as  one  man,  and 
affirm  or  swear  to  anything  they  think  the  position  requires 

For  example :  A  convict  named  Robinson  was  kicked  in 

the  lower  ribs  and  abdomen  so  that  he  died  within  a  few 

days.     I  have  heard  officers  assert  that  they  could  "  kill  a 

man  without  leaving  a  mark."     In  the  case  of  Robinson  a 

28 


434  1'^^   C^S^    OF  ROBINSON. 

large  surface  turned  purple,  so  that  the  doctor  saw  that  fatal 
violence  had  been  used.  The  patient's  parents  were  sent  for, 
to  whom  he  related  the  occurrence,  inculpating  certain  officers 
of  Woking  prison.  An  officer  of  unusual  bravery  and  moral 
courage  —  as  his  conduct  in  this  affair  showed  —  had  seen  the 
violence  done  to  Robinson  and  exposed  it  to  the  superior 
authorities,  his  account  corroborating  the  dying  declaration 
of  the  convict  Robinson.  When  he  died,  the  doctor  made  the 
usual  post-mortem  examination,  ascertaining  the  exact  causes 
of  his  death.  The  coroner's  jury,  as  usual  in  all  cases  of 
death  of  convicts,  was  impaneled  and  evidence  taken.  One 
or  two  prisoners  known  to  me  wished  to  go  before  the  jury  to 
give  their  evidence,  but  they  were  not  called.  The  officer 
before  referred  to  made  oath  to  the  facts.  Those  who  did 
the  violence  came  forward  with  their  friends  and  rebutted  his 
evidence  in  so  firm,  conclusive,  and  brazen  a  way,  that  this 
noble-hearted  officer  was  discharged  from  the  service  as  a 
lunatic,  because  he  had  dared  to  state  the  truth  as  it  was  well 
known  to  many  officers  and  prisoners.  I  am  quite  aware  that 
the  foregoing,  and  many  other  things  yet  to  be  drawn  from 
my  memory,  will  appear  incredible ;  but  if  the  English  gov- 
ernment will  grant  me  the  necessary  facilities,  I  think  it  in 
my  power  to  produce  persons  and  papers  which  shall  prove 
that  all  I  write  is  strictly  true. 

Although  prison  officers  are  not  supposed  to  use  more 
force  than  is  absolutely  necessary  for  self-protection,  in  prac- 
tice they  operate  in  quite  a  different  manner  and  on  another 
principle,  shocking  instances  being  not  infrequent.  Numer- 
ous cases  of  cruelty  have  come  under  my  notice,  and  I  have 
seen  several  prisoners  die  from  the  neglect  and  ill-treatment 
of  brutal  warders. 

Prisoners  have  little  chance  of  getting  their  grievances 
redressed,  because  they  are  forced  to  make  their  complaints, 
in  the  presence  of  warders,  to  the  governor,  or  to  the  govern- 
ment commissioners  on  their  periodical  visits. 

A  "new  chum"  —  and  he  must  be  excessively  "fresh"  — 


REFORMATION  AN  ECONOMY.  435 

may  dare  to  make  complaints  against  warders ;  but  it  is  well 
known  among  old  "  lags "  that  they  may  as  well  cut  their 
own  throats  as  to  do  that.  Indeed,  there  is  a  general  under- 
standing between  these  and  the  warders  that  the  latter  are  to 
be  upheld  under  all  circumstances.  For  example,  I  have 
known  instances  where  men  were  brutally  kicked  and  beaten 
for  some  trifle  which  made  the  warder  lose  his  temper.  In  the 
excitement  of  the  moment  the  victim  would  declare  that  he 
would  tell  the  governor.    ''  Tell  the  governor,  will  you !     You 

scoundrel  I  I  '11  teach  you  to  complain  !  "     And  amid 

a  volley  of  vile  language  the  warder  would  repeat  the  ill-treat- 
ment, well  knowing  the  governor  was  bound  by  law  to  believe 
official  evidence  in  preference  to  the  word  of  any  prisoner,  and 
that  his  own  unblushing  denial  must  be  accepted.  It  is  a 
frequent  occurrence  that  the  officer  turns  the  tables  on  the 
complaining  convict,  and  gets  him  punished  for  making  false 
statements  when  he  had  but  told  the  simple  truth. 

Surely,  the  reformation  of  the  criminal  must  become  the 
one  great  object  in  any  system  of  imprisonment.  As  a  rule, 
prison  life  is  begun  when  young  in  years,  and,  though  tainted, 
they  are  not  so  deeply  immersed  in  vice  but  that  there  is  a 
good  prospect  of  reformation.  Most  certainly  it  will  not  cost 
society  a  thousandth  part  as  much  to  rescue  a  child  as  will  be 
the  expense  of  maintaining  him  in  prison  —  though  I  will 
leave  out  that  factor,  and  say,  as  the  sum  of  his  depredations 
during  the  varying  periods  when  he  is  outside  of  a  prison. 

The  fact  is  that  the  majority  of  prisoners  would  die  in  a 
short  time  if  left  at  liberty,  their  mode  of  life  and  dissipations 
wearing  out  their  constitutions  rapidly.  By  the  time  they 
are  shattered  or  on  the  brink  of  the  grave,  they  get  into 
"  trouble,"  are  sent  to  prison,  where  the  regular  mode  of  life 
restores  them  to  vigor ;  then  they  are  at  liberty  long  enough, 
usually,  to  have  committed  a  considerable  amount  of  depre- 
dations and  used  up  that  vigor,  about  which  time  they  are 
again  in  "trouble";  and  so  they  revolve  —  a  certain  class 
have  the  designation  of  "  revolvers  "  —  through  life,  dying  in 


436 


FROM  THE  AUTHOR  OF  ''BACK-LOG  STUDIES." 


either  prisons  or  workhouses.  I  have  heard  more  than  one 
clever  professional  say  something  like  this :  "  To  be  sure,  I 
am  doing  my  second  (third  or  fourth)  term,  but  then  I  shall 
have  lived  longer,  and  have  been  free  a  longer  time  in  all, 
than  if  I  had  never  been  in  prison,  for  in  that  case  I  should 
have  gone  to  the  devil  flying ! " 

In  the  words  of  one  of  America's  greatest  authors  —  Charles 
Dudley  Warner — spoken  to  me  not  long  after  my  arrival  from 
England :  "  There  will  never  be  any  success  in  reforming 
criminals  until  the  prison  officers  with  whom  they  are  in 
immediate  contact  are  gentlemen." 


Chapter  XL. 


HOW  (not)  to  obtain  "porridge  "  — PROSPECTING  FOR  A  PLAN  OF  ESCAPE  —  TOO 
MUCH  HEAT  EVAPORATES  THE  IDEA  —  DESPAIR  DEMANDS  DEATH  OR  LIBERTY  — 
OLD  VARNEY,  THE  SNORER  —  I  DIG  OUT  BRICKS  IN  SEARCH  OF  PORRIDGE,  BUT 
FIND  CHAINS  —  OFFICIAL  "  INVESTIGATION  "  WITH  A  VENGEANCE — CHAINED  — 
BREAD  AND  WATER — AM  FOUND  INSENSIBLE  —  AN  ELECTRIC  SHOCK  —  HOW  A 
CONVICT  CAN  PROVE  SICKNESS  NOT  TO  BE  SHAMMED  —  UNDER  OBSERVATION  — 
IN  "hot  water"  —  A  COLD  WATER  SHOCK — "  OLD  "  BONES  —  TRANSPORTED 
TO  DARTMOOR. 

I  NOW  come  to  an  important  epoch  in  my  prison  life. 
After  the  failure  of  my  plan  to  escape,  dyspeptic  troubles 
prevented  me  from  retaining  or  getting  the  necessary  amount 
of  nutriment  from  the  ordinary  prison  diet.  I  had  spoken  to 
the  medical  officer  on  several  occasions,  and  he  had  said  that 
they  did  not  put  those  suffering  from  rheumatism  or  dyspep- 
sia under  hospital  treatment.  It  occurred  to  me  that  the 
penal-class  diet  would  be  better  for  my  case,  and  I  applied  to 
him,  explaining  that  I  had  always  been  fond  of  porridge,  and 
felt  sure  the  two  pints  per  day  allowed  as  part  of  that  diet 
would  do  me  more  good  than  all  the  other  prison  food.  He 
replied :  ''  I  would  like  to  give  you  porridge,  but  cannot  do  so 
except  as  a  penalty  or  punishment  diet." 

My  m.ind  was  so  unbalanced  by  the  mental  and  physical 
troubles  of  the  past  few  months  that  I  at  once  resolved  to 
do  something  by  which  I  should  incur  a  sufficient  penalty  to 
ensure  my  being  put  on  porridge.  Therefore,  on  returning  to 
my  cell  I  began  to  study  upon  a  plan  to  bring  about  the  de- 
sired result.  In  my  then  state  of  ignorance  regarding  the 
severe  penalties  inflicted  for  slight  irregularities,  I  imagined 
that  three  days  bread  and  water  in  a  dark  cell  without  a  bed, 
was  a  severe  punishment. 

(437) 


438  "  ^^P  ^^^  flue:* 

Owing  to  vay  sufferings  from  cold,  Dr.  Clarke  had  ordered 
me  to  be  removed  into  a  cell  next  to  the  large  flue  which  led 
from  the  furnace  beneath.  The  cell  wall  which  formed  one 
side  of  the  flue  was  always  so  hot  that  it  was  not  comfortable 
to  hold  the  hand  against  it  very  long,  and  on  close  examin- 
ation I  noticed  that  some  of  the  bricks  did  not  appear  to  be  well 
cemented.  "  Here  goes  for  some  porridge,"  thought  I.  I  there- 
fore took  my  tin  knife  and  worked  out  the  plaster  around 
the  top  and  ends  of  one  brick,  then  watching  an  oppor- 
tunity when  a  gang  of  men  were  coming  in  from  exercise,  I 
knocked  it,  and  a  second,  loose  with  a  few  blows  of  the  three- 
legged  stool,  and  at  once  set  the  table  in  front  of  the  hole  and 
sat  down  pretending  to  read.  I  was  no  sooner  seated  than  a 
warder  came  to  the  door,  looked  through  the  spy-hole,  and, 
seeing  me  quiet,  evidently  thought  his  ears  must  have  de- 
ceived him,  and  passed  along  to  the  next  cell.  My  original 
plan  had  been  to  let  the  warder  "  cop  "  me  in  the  act,  but  as 
soon  as  I  saw  the  bricks  come  loose  so  easily,  it  flashed 
through  my  mind  that  I  might  get  up  the  flue  after  the  fire 
was  extinguished  in  the  spring ;  therefore,  I  took  precautions 
not  to  be  discovered  until  I  had  satisfied  myself  if  such  a  plan 
was  among  the  possibilities.  After  all  was  quiet  again  I 
removed  the  two  bricks  and  covered  them  up  under  the  pile 
of  oakum.  My  slate  had  a  wooden  frame,  and  with  a  slate 
pencil  I  drove  the  peg  out  of  one  corner,  removed  the  slate, 
and  pulled  the  four  pieces  out  straight,  by  which  means  I  had 
a  good  measuring  rod.  Within  the  first  course  of  bricks  was 
an  inch  of  air  space,  then  came  the  wall  of  the  flue  which  was 
composed  of  a  layer  of  fire-brick.  There  were  some  crevices 
in  this,  and  I  pushed  the  rod  through  until  it  touched  the  op- 
posite side,  which  proved  the  flue  to  be  fifteen  inches  inside. 
I  had  no  sooner  put  the  frame  back  on  the  slate  than  seeps 
approached  my  door.  I  shoved  the  table  in  front  of  the  hole, 
picked  up  a  book  as  the  door  was  thrown  open,  and  the 
assistant  doctor  came  in,  followed  by  the  usual  retinue  of 
warders.     After  asking  me  a  few  questions  as  to  my  health, 


CHANCES    OF  SUCCESS   CONSIDERED.  439 

food,  etc.,  he  departed,  much  to  my  relief,  for  while  he  was 
speaking  I  cast  a  furtive  glance  at  the  oakum  and  I  saw  one 
corner  of  a  brick  protruding.  I  put  the  bricks  back  in  their 
place,  filled  bread  dough  into  the  crevices  in  lieu  of  mortar, 
then  with  whitewash  scraped  from  the  walls  I  whitened  it  so 
that  it  looked  the  same  as  the  rest  of  the  wall. 

When  in  the  yard  at  exercise  I  calculated  the  height  of 
the  chimney,  which  was  about  sixty  feet.  For  several  days  I 
turned  the  matter  over  in  my  mind  but  could  come  to  no  con- 
clusion. At  the  best  it  would  be  a  "  forlorn  hope "  affair. 
There  was  scarce  an  hour  in  the  day  that  some  one  did  not 
look  in  the  spy-hole  to  see  what  I  was  at,  as  the  Newgate 
affair  previously  described  had  made  me  a  suspicious  charac- 
ter in  the  way  of  escapes.  At  night  the  warder  on  duty  was 
supposed  to  peer  into  my  cell  every  hour.  The  gas  was  left 
burning  above  the  door  for  that  purpose. 

Under  such  circumstances  I  should  have  been  obliged  to 
dig  out  two  layers  of  brick  and  make  a  hole  large  enough  to 
let  me  into  the  flue,  ascending  which  I  would  perhaps  be 
stopped  by  iron  bars  laid  across  at  the  level  of  each  story 
and  at  the  top  of  the  chimney.  But  if  the  flue  should  be 
unobstructed  so  that  I  reached  the  roof,  I  must  descend  about 
fifty  feet  into  the  yard  which  a  watchman  patroled,  cross  this 
and  scale  a  brick  wall  thirty  feet  high,  from  which  I  must 
drop  into  the  street  —  into  the  arms  of  a  policeman!  Besides, 
I  must  not  wear  the  prison  clothes,  but  make  some  sort  of 
garments  out  of  my  bed  blankets  or  sheets  beforehand,  and 
conceal  them  in  my  cell  until  the  moment  for  action.  To 
accomplish  all  this  I  had  a  strip  of  tin  for  a  knife,  a  wooden 
spoon,  and  a  needle  with  plenty  of  thread.  My  sufferings 
and  solitary  confinement  had  brought  me  to  that  desperate 
state  in  which  I  was  willing  to  risk  my  life  for  a  change  —  a 
change  at  any  price,  even  for  the  worst.  After  revolving  the 
subject  for  some  days  I  determined  that  there  was  a  chance 
of  success,  for  at  night  the  watchman  did  not  peer  through 
the  spy-hole  sometimes  from   midnight  until  4  a.  m.,  and  I 


440  ^^^    ^^<^  BRICKS 

thought  probable  that  the  yard  patrol  would  be  snug  in  a  corner 
fast  asleep ;  for  as  a  rule  prison  warders  take  it  easy  and 
shirk  every  duty  they  safely  can  in  revenge  for  being  paid 
but  a  mere  pittance.  It  is  very  difficult  to  catch  one  of  these 
old  soldiers  or  sailors  asleep  on  duty.  I  have  known  a  num- 
ber who  would  sleep  hours  in  an  upright  position,  and  one  at 
Dartmoor  Prison  —  an  old  soldier  of  the  Indian  mutiny  — 
named  Yarney,  who  while  on  night  duty  in  my  ward  used  to 
sleep,  snoring  so  loudly  as  to  awaken  me.  Suddenly  he  would 
break  off  in  the  middle  of  a  snore  and  shout,  "  All  right, 
sir!"  to  the  governor,  chief,  or  orderly  officer,  as  either  made 
the  customary  rounds.  Within  a  minute  I  would  hear  him 
snoring  as  if  he  had  not  been  disturbed.  It  was  well-known 
to  the  authorities  that  old  Yarney  slept  on  duty,  and  for  years 
they  had  been  trying  to  "  cop "  him  ;  they  could  get  near 
enough  to  hear  him  snore,  but  instantly  came  the  "  All  right, 
sir,"  he  giving  the  customary  military  salute  without  moving 
from  his  upright  position. 

But  to  return  from  my  digression.  I  determined  to 
attempt  to  carry  out  the  plan  of  escape  as  soon  as  the  fur- 
nace fire  was  put  out  in  the  spring,  provided  I  could  get  the 
layer  of  fire-bricks  loosened.  In  order  to  set  my  mind  at  rest 
on  this  point,  I  removed  the  two  bricks  and  tried  to  work  one 
of  the  small  crevices  between  the  fire-brick  larger  with  my 
tin  knife.  This  would  not  make  the  least  impression  on  them, 
and  on  closer  examination  I  saw  that  the  extreme  heat  had 
baked  the  fire-brick  together  so  that  it  looked  to  be  nearly  as 
hard  and  impenetrable  as  a  wall  of  iron. 

At  once  I  abandoned  all  hope  of  escape  in  that  direction, 
and  reverted  to  the  plan  of  procuring  porridge  by  letting 
them  discover  the  loosened  bricks.  I  had  no  idea  as  to  the 
penalty  for  attempting  to  escape,  but  was  satisfied  that  no 
one  could  suspect  me  of  being  simple  enough  to  get  into  a 
red-hot  flue.  Taking  out  the  two  bricks  I  thought  would 
be  a  sufficient  offense  to  get  me  put  on  the  porridge  diet.  I 
therefore  laid  the  bricks  back  in  the  hole  and  sat  on  my  stool 
by  the  side  of  it  and  picked  at  it  with  my  tin  knife. 


VISIT  BY  THE    GOVERNOR,  ET  ALl  44-[ 

Shortly  I  heard  the  slide  over  the  spy-hole  move,  and  felt 
that  the  warder  was  peering  into  my  cell.  He  left,  and  in 
five  minutes  came  with  the  principal  warder,  who  unlocked 
the  door  and  came  in.  Seeing  the  bricks  loose  he  pulled  them 
out  on  the  floor  to  make  the  thing  look  as  bad  as  possible,  and 
asked  me  what  made  me  do  it.  I  told  him  what  the  doctor 
had  said  in  reply  to  my  application  for  porridge.  They  went 
away,  locking  me  in  again,  and  in  about  ten  minutes  I  heard 
a  heavy  tramping  over  the  stone  floor  of  the  corridor.  My 
cell  door  was  flung  open  as  the  warder  shouted  "  Atten- 
tion !  "  and  in  came  the  governor,  followed  by  the  chief  and 
several  other  warders. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  this  sort  of  work  ? "  the  governor 
demanded. 

I  answered  the  same  as  I  had  done  to  the  warder.  He 
stepped  outside  of  the  cell  and  told  the  warder  to  bring  me 
along,  and  started  up  the  corridor.  I  followed  in  escort  of 
the  warders,  and  was  locked  up  in  another  cell.  I  had  been 
under  the  doctor's  care  on  what  is  called  prison  treatment, 
and  the  next  morning  the  assistant  doctor  came  in,  had  me 
stripped,  and  then  sounded  my  lungs  and  made  some  exam- 
ination of  my  legs.  I  was  too  "  fresh "  then  to  know  that 
such  an  examination  was  to  enable  him  to  report  to  the  gov- 
ernor how  much  punishment  I  could  endure.  During  this 
examination  the  doctor  said : 

"  Well,  you  have  done  it  this  time ;  what  made  you  act  so 
foolish?" 

I  told  him  I  was  suffering  so  much  from  the  good-conduct 
diet,  and  knowing  that  the  penal-class  or  porridge  diet  would 
be  much  better  for  me,  I  had  determined  to  get  it  at  all  haz- 
ards, for  I  could  not  go  on  as  at  present. 

"  Well,"  he  replied,  "  I  am  sorry  for  you ;  but  your  chest 
and  legs  are  sound,  and  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  save  you  from 
going  before  the  director  [designated  in  the  United  States 
state  prison  inspector]." 

I  did  not,  through  ignorance,  appreciate  the  gravity  of  his 


442  ^^^  DIRECTORS  SENTENCE. 

last  remark,  but  was  soon  put  in  the  way  of  doing  so.  About 
noon  my  cell  door  was  thrown  ojDen,  I  was  ordered  to 
"  come  on,"  and  taken  to  what  proved  to  be  the  governor's 
office.  But  it  was  not  that  official  who  was  to  do  for  me,  his 
accustomed  place  being  occupied  by  the  director.  The  gov- 
ernor, his  clerk,  and  the  deputy  governor,  were  seated  near  by, 
while  the  chief  warder,  one  or  two  principals,  and  several  ward- 
ers of  a  lower  grade  were  standing  in  waiting,  besides  three 
or  four  who  surrounded  me  to  protect  their  superiors  from  so 
desperate  a  character  as  myself ;  at  least,  that  is  just  how  it 
looked  and  appeared  to  be,  in  order  to  give  color  to  the  false 
trash  with  which  I  have  reason  to  believe  the  director  had  been 
stuffed  full.  I  had  been  on  one  occasion  taken  before  the 
governor,  who  warned  me  that  I  should  be  severely  punished 
unless  I  picked  more  oakum  than  it  was  possible  for  me  to 
pick,  but  I  was  totally  unprepared  to  meet  so  potent  an 
authority  as  the  director,  and  what  followed  remains  indelibly 
imprinted  in  my  memory. 

"  You  are  charged  with  attempting  to  escape.  What  have 
you  to  say  for  yourself  ?  "  asked  the  director. 

I  repeated  what  I  had  said  to  the  governor,  and  added 
that  if  he  would  examine  the  condition  of  the  flue,  he  w^ould 
ascertain  that  it  was  constantly  so  hot  that  anyone  getting 
into  it  would  be  burned  to  death,  also  that  it  would  require  a 
sledge-hammer  to  break  through  the  fire-brick  lining  —  that 
even  if  such  obstacles  were  overcome,  and  there  were  no  grat- 
ings in  the  flue  to  prevent  me  from  gaining  the  top,  I  must 
get  from  the  roof  into  the  yard,  and  scale  the  wall  unobserved 
by  the  watchmen  —  and  finally  assured  him  that  any  man  in 
his  senses,  after  having  removed  the  outer  course  of  bricks, 
would  see  that  escape  in  that  way  was  not  among  the 
possibilities. 

No  heed  was  paid  to  this,  but  the  director  immediately 
sentenced  me  as  follows  : 

"  I  ought  to  have  you  flogged,  but  as  the  doctor  says  you 
are  not  in  a  state  of  health  to  permit,  I  sentence  you  to  under- 


DESPERATION.  443 

go  ten  days  bread-and-water  diet,  six  months  chains  and 
ankle-irons  [see  illustration  in  explanatory  chapter]  and  to 
wear  the  yellow  parti-colored  dress  during  the  period  of  six 
months." 

1  was  led  from  his  presence  stupefied.  I  had  obtained  the 
porridge  diet  with  a  vengeance !  Without  delay  I  was 
inducted  into  the  yellow  and  buff  dress ;  the  blacksmith  came 
and  riveted  heavy  band-irons  around  my  ankles,  and  did  not 
do  his  work  any  too  gently.  These  were  connected  by  a 
heavy  chain,  about  a  yard  in  length,  and  the  whole  weighed 
some  sixteen  pounds.  I  was  then  put  into  a  cell  in  the  base- 
ment, which  had  nothing  within  the  bare  whitewashed  walls 
save  a  raised  bench  on  one  side,  with  a  wooden  head-piece  for 
a  pillow  at  one  end,  and  the  smoothed  section  of  a  tree 
imbedded  on  end  in  the  asphalted  floor  at  the  other  for  a 
table.  I  thought  my  condition  bad  enough  before,  but  now  I 
felt  that  I  had  reached  the  very  last  stage  of  degradation 
except  flogging  —  and  I  am  free  to  say  that,  had  they  flogged 
me,  there  is  no  doubt  I  should  have  been  put  into  a  state  of 
mind  that  would  have  led  to  murder.  I  paced  restlessly 
about  the  cell,  dragging  the  clanking  chain.  I  felt  that  my 
ankles  were  disgraced  ;  the  irons  gnawed  into  my  soul,  as  they 
soon  did  into  my  flesh.  I  dashed  my  head,  in  wild  despair, 
against  the  wall,  and  madly  raved  at  such  injustice.  The 
solid  walls,  before  my  wavering  sight,  appeared  unrolled,  and 
showed  me  mocking  demons,  to  whom  my  mental  pangs  gave 
fresh  delight.  I  shook  my  clenched  hands  on  high,  and 
cursed  these  and  the  Ruler  of  the  Universe  for  having  per- 
mitted me  to  come  into  existence. 

The  assistant  warder,  a  kind  man,  came  at  regular  hours 
with  the  few  ounces  of  bread  (one  pound  per  day)  and  to  see 
if  the  water-jug  was  empty.  On  these  occasions  he  tried  to 
cheer  me  up,  but  I  paid  no  heed,  and  for  four  days  I  ate  none 
of  the  bread,  and  did  not  even  moisten  my  lips  with  water. 

The  warder  afterwards  told  me  that  on  the  fifth  day  he 
found  me  lying  senseless  on  the  floor,  and  that  I  did  not  show 


444  ELECTRIC  AND   OTHER   TESTS. 

any  signs  of  life  except  faint  breathing  for  the  next  week, 
and  that  they  kept  me  alive  by  pouring  beef-tea  down  my 
throat  through  a  rubber  tube.  About  this  time  I  remember 
seeing  the  medical  officer,  Dr.  Vane  C.  Clarke,  leaning  over  and 
looking  at  me  with  eyes  expressive  of  pity  and  sympathy. 
Gradually  I  recovered  my  powers  of  observation,  and  found 
that  they  were  giving  me  a  shock  of  electricity  from  a  power- 
ful battery,  which  had  no  effect  on  my  legs,  but  as  they  applied 
it  to  other  parts  of  the  body  it  caused  the  most  excruciating 
pain,  and  shook  me  as  if  it  would  tear  every  bone  out  of  my 
body.  The  irons  and  chain  were  still  on.  The  legs  of  the 
breeches  which  are  worn  with  irons  are  open  on  the  outside, 
and  when  on  are  fastened  by  buttoning  up  both  sides,  so  that 
they  are  easily  taken  off  at  night  without  removing  the  irons, 
and  the  stockings  can  be  slipped  down  inside  the  iron  bands 
and  taken  off.  As  these,  and  every  article  of  clothing  and 
underclothing,  except  shirt,  must  be  put  outside  of  the  cell  at 
night,  the  unfortunate  wretch  must  sleep,  if  he  can,  with  the 
iron  bands  against  his  bare  ankles. 

There  are  constantly  so  many  convicts  shamming  sickness 
in  order  to  escape  hard  labor  and  to  obtain  admission  to  the 
Infirmary,  that  they  may  have  better  food,  and  the  doctors 
have  been  so  often  deceived,  that  they  are  forced  to  be  very 
circumspect,  and,  except  in  cases  where  the  disease  manifests 
itself  unmistakably,  they  are  obliged  to  subject  every  appli- 
cant to  severe  and  sometimes  terrible  ordeals  in  order  to  test 
the  genuineness  of  the  case.  Indeed,  it  not  infrequently  hap 
pens  that  men  get  no  help  until  (excuse  the  "  bull ")  they 
prove  that  they  are  really  sick  by  dying.  I  have  known  sev- 
eral such  cases. 

For  the  reasons  above  referred  to  I  was  subjected  to 
applications  of  the  battery  and  various  other  tests  for  three 
weeks,  when,  to  my  inexpressible  relief,  the  blacksmith  came 
and  with  a  cold-chisel  and  hammer  cut  the  rivets  and  re- 
moved the  irons,  although  in  doing  it  he  nearly  broke  my 
ankles.     As  soon  as  these  were  off,  the  warder  of  the  In- 


IN  AN  OBSERVATION-CELL.  445 

firmary  came  and  removed  me  to  that  place,  when  I  was 
put  in  one  of  the  observation-cells,  on  a  wide  bedstead  which 
contained  a  good  spring-bed. 

This  observation-cell  was  about  ten  by  twelve  feet  square, 
with  the  usual  spy -hole  in  the  door.  In  the  ceiling  was  fixed 
a  plate  of  glass,  and  the  room  overhead  was  so  arranged  that 
persons  there  could  see  all  that  passed  below,  but  the  man  in 
the  observation-cell  beneath  could  not  see  them  nor  know 
when  he  was  being  watched.  Indeed,  any  queries  as  to  what 
the  glass  was  in  the  ceiling  for,  elicited  the  false  information 
that  it  was  originally  intended  to  light  the  cell  with  a  gas- 
light above  the  plate,  but  it  was  found  it  did  not  work  as  well 
as  the  old  plan.  This  was  to  allay  any  suspicions  and  put  the 
occupant  off  his  guard. 

At  Woking  the  ward  in  which  I  stayed  for  a  year  was  in 
charge  of  Assistant  Warder  Joseph  Matthews.  At  the  time 
of  which  I  am  writing  he  was  located  at  the  Pentonville 
prison,  and  he  used  to  tell  me  about  what  happened  while  I 
was  in  that  observation  cell.  He  said  that  he  was  put  on 
night  duty  in  the  room  above  me,  and  for  six  weeks  from  6 
p.  M.  till  6  A.  M.,  his  eyes  were  constantly  fixed  on  me,  and 
that  another  assistant  warder  was  on  duty  for  the  same 
purpose  daytimes.  Nothing  having  been  reported  to  the 
medical  officer  regarding  me  that  was  inconsistent  with 
the  nature  of  my  reputed  malady,  at  the  end  of  that  time 
the  special  watching  was  given  up.  He  said  my  case  attract- 
ed much  attention  among  the  prison  authorities,  and  that 
frequently  the  governor,  doctors,  and  oilipl'S  would  come  in 
and  peer  down  on  me  and  ask  him  how  I  was  going  on. 
During  all  this  time  I  was  subjected  to  daily  shocks  with  the 
battery,  causing  unspeakable  torture. 

One  day  the  doctor  came  and  (unknown  to  me)  had  the 
bath-tub  which  was  next  door  filled  with  hot  water,  which, 
by  a  thermometer,  was  but  a  degree  or  two  below  the  scalding 
point.  In  the  meantime  the  assistant  warders  had  stripped 
me  naked,  and  then  picking  me  up  by  the  shoulders  and  feet, 


446  TORRID  AND  FRIGID. 

carried  and  dropped  me  like  a  lobster  into  the  hot  bath,  in 
the  hope  that  if  I  were  shamming  inability  to  walk,  the  sudden 
scald  would  make  me  jump  out.  I  felt  as  if  every  inch  of 
skin  was  coming  off,  and  made  out  to  raise  myself  into  a 
sitting  posture,  and  there  I  sat  in  the  hottest  spot  I  had  ever 
known.  The  doctor  made  these  tests  more  to  satisfy  the 
governor  than  himself,  and  seeing  that  this  had  failed,  I  was 
lifted  out  and  placed  in  a  chair  w^ith  my  back  to  the  door,  and 
instantly  there  came  crashing  into  the  small  of  my  back  from 
a  hose-pipe  a  stream  of  ice-cold  water  —  for  it  was  in  Jan- 
uary. After  it  was  played  on  till  I  felt  myself  congealing  into 
solid  ice,  I  was  put  back  to  bed.  The  medical  officer  having 
now  satisfied  all  possible  requirements,  gave  me  every  atten- 
tion. I  had  eaten  next  to  nothing  for  some  weeks,  although 
ever  since  the  chains  had  been  removed  he  had  ordered  what- 
ever he  thought  I  could  relish. 

The  Governor  of  Pentonville  in  1873  bore  the  patronymic 
of  Bones,  but  as  he  was  disgusted  with  being  called  "  Old 
Bones,"  he  had  taken  his  wife's  name,  which  I  cannot  now 
recall.  At  this  prison  I  had  little  opportunity  of  taking  his 
measure,  except  to  notice  his  pompous  manner,  his  fond- 
ness for  the  title  of  Colonel  —  he  had  filled  that  office  in  the 
militia — and  his  haughty,  overbearing,  and  despotic  demeanor 
towards  prisoners.  I  was  transferred  from  Dartmoor  to 
Woking  prison  in  November,  1881,  where  I  saw  a  good  deal 
and  heard  more  of  him  for  some  years  until  he  quit  the 
service. 

I  have  said  elsewhere  that  all  prisoners  were  sent  away 
from  Pentonville  and  Millbank  prisons  at  the  expiration  of 
their  nine  months'  probation.  Therefore,  on  the  20th  of 
February,  1873,  I  was  handcuffed  and  taken  from  the  obser- 
vation-cell, driven  in  a  cab  to  the  station,  put  into  a  car,  and 
after  an  all-night  ride,  arrived  in  Portsmouth,  where  a  con- 
veyance was  waiting  in  which  I  was  transported  about  sixteen 
miles  to  Dartmoor  prison.  About  9  o'clock  A.  M.  the  'bus 
stopped  at  a  small  wayside  inn  long  enough  for  the  warders 


DARTMOOR  INFIRMARY. 


447 


to  breakfast.  On  the  whole  journey  the  warders  treated  me 
very  kindly,  and  here  they  took  me  into  the  inn,  and  out  of  his 
own  purse  the  principal  paid  for  a  pint  of  hot  milk  to  wash 
down  the  dry  bread  which  had  been  brought  for  my  break- 
fast, also  giving  me  three  or  four  lumps  of  loaf  sugar  left  over 
from  their  breakfast,  the  last  that  I  tasted  for  the  ensuing 
fourteen  years.  Had  those  acts  of  kindness  to  a  suffering 
man  become  known,  the  warder  might  have  been  pun- 
ished by  fine  or  expulsion  from  the  service.  When  arrived 
within  the  walls  of  Dartmoor  the  handcuffs  were  removed, 
and  I  was  taken  into  the  reception-room,  a  dreary-looking 
place,  where,  after  waiting  two  or  three  hours,  the  doctor 
came  in  and  ordered  me  to  bed  in  the  Infirmary. 


Chapter  XLl. 


DARTMOOR  CONVICT  ESTABLISHMENT  —  PRISON  ASSOCIATIONS  — NIBLO  CLARK  — HIS 

STORY STEALS   TWO   COATS —  TAKES  REFUGE  ON  THE  ROOFS — A  DARING  LEAP 

—  A  TERRIFIED  WOMAN  —  FIFTEEN  YEARS  FOR  "CHEEKING  "  THE  JUDGE  — THE 
*'PIPPS  "  —  HE  IS  AMBUSHED  BY  THE  MEDICAL  OFFICER  — WORK  ON  THE  DART- 
MOOR BOGS  —  CONVICTS  ESCAPE  UNDER  COVER  OF  THE  FOG. 

THE  Dartmoor  convict  establishment  is  composed  of  eight 
large  prisons,  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall  twenty-five  or 
thirty  feet  high,  each  prison  being  also  separately  enclosed. 
Dartmoor,  in  Devonshire,  consists  of  a  large  tract  of  treeless, 
boggy  land,  which  until  within  a  few  years  was  considered 
worthless  for  farming  purposes.  I  was  informed  that  it 
belonged  to  the  Prince  of  Wales.  During  the  wars  with 
Napoleon  the  First,  several  buildings,  with  a  capacity  for 
10,000  men,  were  erected  on  the  site  of  the  present  convict 
establishment  for  the  incarceration  of  French  prisoners  of  war. 
The  story  told  me  about  the  establishment  of  a  station  for 
convicts  here  is  that  it  was  done  in  order  to  make  the  prop- 
erty owned  by  the  Prince  of  Wales  valuable  without  expense 
to  him.  The  site  on  which  the  prisons  are  located  is  on  the 
highest  part  of  the  moor,  about  seventeen  hundred  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  is  an  extremely  desolate  place.  Westerly  winds 
bring  the  clouds  saturated  with  warm  moisture  from  the  gulf 
stream,  which  strike  this  high  land  and  empty  floods  of  rain, 
hail,  snow,  or  sleet,  according  to  the  season,  and  at  times  all 
within  the  same  day,  so  that  clear  weather  is  the  exception. 
The  prisoners  who  work  on  the  bogs  are  provided  with  two 
suits  of  clothes,  so  that  when  they  come  in  from  work,  soak- 
ing wet,  they  may  have  a  dry  suit.  These  are  employed  on 
the  bog  in  ditching,  draining,  and  burying  the  great  rocks  and 

(448) 


BOGS  AND  FOGS.  449 

boulders  with  which  its  surface  is  covered.  If  my  memory  is 
not  at  fault  these  prisons  were  opened  in  1852,  and  since  then 
the  labor  of  the  convicts  has  made  many  hundreds  of  acres  of 
valuable  farming  land  out  of  a  tract  supposed  to  be  worthless. 
It  is  an  inhospitable  climate,  and  the  worst  possible  place  for 
a  convict  establishment.  With  the  exception  of  a  short  time 
in  the  summer,  there  are  frequent  dense  fogs  which  prevent 
the  men  from  being  taken  out  to  work,  the  expenses  going  on 
just  the  same  when  the  warders  and  convict  workers  are  idle. 

The  bog  for  some  distance  around  the  prisons  having  been 
reclaimed,  some  of  the  gangs  work  one  to  two  miles  distant. 
Oftentimes  the  weather  is  clear  in  the  morning,  and  the 
warders  march  their  parties  out  as  usual,  only  to  find  a  few 
hours  later  themselves  and  their  men  enveloped  in  a  dense 
fog.  Each  party  is  accompanied  by  three  or  four  men  known 
as  "  civil  guards,"  who  are  armed  with  repeating  carbines. 
The  guards  are  posted  around  the  convict  laborers  who  are,  at 
times,  scattered  some  distance  apart.  As  soon  as  the  princi- 
pal in  charge  sees  a  fog  coming  he  collects  his  men  and  calls 
the  guards  near,  but  at  times  the  fog  sweeps  along  before  this 
can  be  accomplished. 

That  is  an  opportunity  that  some  men  cannot  resist,  and 
they  make  a  run  for  liberty,  sometimes  getting  clear  off,  in 
most  cases,  to  be  picked  up  a  few  days  later  half  starved. 
Sometimes,  indeed,  they  are  forced  by  hunger  to  give  them- 
selves up.  What  makes  it  so  difficult  for  prisoners  (even 
under  such  apparently  favorable  conditions)  to  escape  is,  that 
every  inhabitant  in  the  surrounding  country  is  on  the  lookout, 
in  the  hope  of  gaining  the  standing  offer  of  X5  reward  for  the 
recapture  of  escaped  convicts. 

Some  who  had  friends  arranged  with  a  warder  to  see  or  cor- 
respond with  them,  who  for  a  small  sum  would  assist  in  pre- 
paring an  escape.  I  knew  a  man  at  Dartmoor,  by  the  name 
of  Britain,  for  whom  an  assistant  warder  secreted  a  suit  of  citi- 
zen's clothes  out  on  the  bog.  One  morning,  a  few  days  later, 
he  and  another  man  started,  both  disappearing  like  phantoms 
29 


450  PRISON  FELLOWSHIP. 

in  the  fog  before  the  guards  could  fire.  Instead  of  making 
directly  for  his  secreted  clothes,  Britain  crept  under  a  small 
bridge,  where  he  was  soon  discovered  and  marched  into  his 
cell,  which  was  next  to  mine,  and  gave  me  full  particulars. 
Two  days  later  the  other  man  came  back  to  the  prison,  hav- 
ing been  all  that  time  wandering  over  Dartmoor  bogs  without 
food. 

The  Dartmoor  infirmary  is  in  No.  1,  the  oldest  of  the  build- 
ings, having  been  built  by  the  French  prisoners  of  war.  In 
the  basement  and  first  floor  are  cells  about  ten  feet  square 
which  are  used  for  hospital  patients,  who  from  any  cause  are 
not  permitted  to  be  placed  in  the  large  association  rooms 
overhead.  Nothwithstanding  my  physical  state,  on  account 
of  my  alleged  attempts  to  escape  I  was  placed  in  one  of  the 
cells. 

All  association  of  convicts  with  each  other  is  destructive. 
At  the  time  to  which  I  have  brought  my  narrative  I  had  but 
a  dim  idea  of  the  important  bearing  which  this  fact  has  on 
the  possibility  of  reforming  convicts ;  still  I  was  of  the  im- 
pression that  under  the  circumstances  it  would  be  best  for  me 
to  have  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  my  fellow-prisoners.  It 
is  clear  to  me,  and  the  sequel  will  show  that  had  I  rigidly 
adhered  to  this  resolution,  there  is  little  doubt  but  that  I 
would  have  been  sent  home  many  years  before  I  was. 

In  the  corridor  where  I  was  located  the  cells  had  sheet- 
iron  partitions,  the  upper  two  feet  of  which  were  perforated 
with  one-quarter  inch  holes  to  give  a  good  circulation  through 
the  whole  tier ;  and  any  occupant  had  only  to  stand  on  his 
deal  table  and  peer  through  these  holes  to  see  all  that  was 
going  on  in  the  adjoining  cells.  They  could  also  whisper 
with  each  other,  and  at  certain  times,  or  when  either  one  of 
certain  assistant  warders  was  in  charge,  they  could  and  did 
talk  and  shout  to  each  other  all  down  the  corridor. 

My  cell  was  at  the  far  end  of  the  corridor,  and  the  man  in 
the  next  cell,  Niblo  Clark,  was  a  "  character.."  I  was  no 
sooner  locked  in  my  cell  and  left  on  my  bed  in  solitude,  as  I 


A  CHARACTER. 


451 


supposed,  than  I  heard  a  voice  in  suppressed  tones,  say : 
"  Hello  !  where  did  you  come  from  ?  Are  you  a  new  chum, 
and  how  long  have  you  got  ?"  and  a  dozen  other  questions  in 
a  breath.  I  did  not  answer,  nor  did  I  respond  to  his  numer- 
ous attempts  the  ensuing  five  or  six  weeks  to  open  conversa- 
tion. As  I  was  never  taken  out  of  my  cell,  except  to  the 
bath-tub  close  by,  and  the  cell  was  so  dark  that  I  could  not 
see  to  read  when  the  sun  did  not  shine,  the  solitude  became 
unbearable,  so  much  so  that  my  resolution  of  non-intercourse 
gave  way,  and  T  replied  to  him.  The  ice  once 
broken  there  was  no  end,  and  he  jabbered 
nearly  every  moment  when  he  was  not  asleep, 
relating  every  event  of  his  life,  a  sketch  of 
which  may  not  be  uninteresting  here,  as  he 
is  a  representative  of  a  large  class  who  fill 
the  prisons. 

Niblo  Clark  was  the  son  of  "  poor  but  re- 
spectable parents,"  who  lived  in  London. 
From  early  childhood  he  had  been  permitted 
to  play  in  the  street,  and  by  the  time  he  was 
eight  or  nine  years  of  age  he  used  to  run 
away  from  home  for  two  or  three  days  at  a 
time,  sleeping  with  his  chums  in  any  nook 
or  corner  they  could  find,  and  pilfering  to 
appease  their  hunger.  At  about  fourteen,  his 
father  procured  him  a  place  in  a  small  drug 
shop,  which  he  did  not  retain  long  before  he    escaped  from  a 

.       .  REFORMATORY. 

was  detected  by  his  master  appropriatmg 
small  sums.  For  this  he  was  brought  before  a  magistrate 
and  sent  to  a  reformatory  school,  from  which  he  escaped 
within  a  few  months.  While  at  the  reformatory  he  had 
learned  nothing  but  evil,  and  on  his  return  to  London  he 
plunged  at  once  into,  what  was  at  the  time  a  favorite  haunt 
for  thieves,  Drury  Lane.  He  was  soon  arrested  for  sneak- 
ing something  from  a  shop  door,  and  sent  to  jail  for  six 
months.     He  said  they  set  him  at  picking  oakum,  and  pun- 


452  TWENTY-SEVEN  YEARS  IN  PRISON. 

ished  him  on  bread  and  water  for  not  doing  the  allotted  task^ 
till  he  was  nearly  dead  from  starvation,  and  that  the  ordinary 
allowance  of  food  for  full  labor  was  only  half  enough.  How- 
ever, he  lived  it  through,  and  at  fifteen  was  discharged  with  a 
few  shillings.  He  then  took  up  thieving  as  a  profession,  and 
would  not  have  earned  an  honest  living  had  he  the  opportunity. 

Within  a  few  weeks  he  received  his  first  penal  term,  which 
was  five  years  at  Chatham,  where  he  divided  his  time  be- 
tween the  punishment  cells  and  the  hospital,  preferring  to 
"  do  "  bread  and  water  till  so  sick  or  exhausted  that  the  doc- 
tor was  obliged  to  take  him  in  and  put  him  on  hospital  diet 
for  a  few  days.  This  he  regarded  as  a  full  compensation 
for  his  sufferings  in  the  punishment-cells,  and  from  that 
time  on  for  twenty-seven  years,  until  the  completion  of  his 
last  term  in  1887,  an  imprisonment  of  three  penal  terms  — 
five,  seven,  and  fifteen  years  each  —  he  had  kept  on  that  plan 
of  shamming  and  deception  which  had  become  to  him  second 
nature. 

He  got  his  third  penal  term  of  fifteen  years  in  1873,  for 
stealing  two  coats  a  few  months  previous  to  my  trial.  His 
account  of  his  last  arrest,  the  general  correctness  of  which  I 
have  no  doubt,  was  substantially  as  follows : 

"  I  was  going  along  Cheapside  late  one  night,  and  came  to 
where  a  new  building  was  being  erected,  next  to  which  was 
a  tailor's  shop.  I  climbed  over  the  boarding  and  up  into  the 
second  story  of  the  new  building,  from  which  I  got  upon  the 
roof  of  an  addition  to  the  tailor's  shop.  I  found  a  window 
opening  on  the  roof  which  was  not  fastened,  and  creeping 
through  I  got  down  into  the  front  shop,  and  by  the  dim  light 
reflected  from  the  street  lamps  I  collected  a  lot  of  things  and 
tied  them  up  in  a  bundle,  which  I  put  up  within  reach  of  the 
window.  Seeing  two  nice  coats  hanging  on  a  nail,  I  thought 
they  were  just  what  I  wanted — put  them  both  on  and  climbed 
up  through  the  window.  As  I  turned  to  reach  in  for  the 
bundle,  I  saw  a  man  come  into  the  shop  from  a  side  door,  he 
having  been  aroused  by  some  noise.     Upon  seeing  me  in  the 


ALMOST  A  TRAGEDY.  453 

window,  he  shouted :  '  Hello  !  what  are  you  doing  there  ? ' 
Without  stopping  to  answer  or  to  get  the  bundle,  I  scrambled 
back  into  the  new  building  and  got  safely  into  the  street  with 
both  the  coats  still  on.  I  had  not  gone  far  before  I  met  two 
bobbies,  and  like  a  fool  as  soon  as  I  was  past  them  got  fright- 
ened and  began  to  run.  This  they  noticed,  and  at  once  gave 
chase.  I  ran  into  a  back  alley,  and  climbed  over  into  the  back- 
yard of  one  of  a  block  of  dwelling-houses.  The  policemen  got 
around  the  corner  soon  enough  to  see  me  disappear  over  the 
fence,  so  I  climbed  on  top  of  a  great  water-cistern,  raised  a 
window  through  which  I  climbed,  and  then  shutting,  passed 
up  to  the  roof  through  the  skylight.  From  behind  a  chimney 
I  watched  the  movements  of  the  bobbies  who  could  not  see 
me,  but  knowing  I  was  in  the  block  one  of  them  remained  on 
guard  while  the  other  went  for  assistance,  and  soon  returned 
with  a  number  who  surrounded  the  block.  After  searching 
all  the  back  yards  until  nearly  daylight,  they  concluded  I 
must  have  got  into  one  of  the  houses,  and  as  it  grew  light, 
these  were  searched  in  vain.  I  had  retired  to  the  far  end, 
where  the  block  of  houses  bordered  in  a  narrow  lane,  which 
obstructed  further  progress  in  that  direction.  While  consid- 
ering what  to  do  in  such  an  emergency,  some  one  in  the  street 
caught  sight  of  me,  and  soon  I  saw  a  policeman's  head  pop- 
ping up  through  the  trap-door.  In  a  moment  several  were 
on  the  roof  and  advancing  toward  me.  I  got  close  to  the  end, 
and  saw  a  window  open  in  a  house  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
lane,  a  few  feet  lower  than  the  spot  on  which  I  stood.  With- 
out hesitation  I  leaped,  luckily  reaching  the  window-sill,  and 
swung  myself  in.  There  were  hundreds  watching  me,  and 
when  they  saw  me  make  the  fearful  leap,  they  no  doubt 
expected  to  see  me  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  pavement.  As  I 
entered  the  room  in  this  unusual  manner,  an  old  woman  who 
was  in  bed  began  to  scream ;  I  hastened  down  the  stairs,  but 
before  I  had  got  far  a  bobby  met  and  collared  me." 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  all  this  time  Niblo  Clark  had  not 
attempted  to  get  rid  of  the  stolen  coats,  but  had  them  on 


454 


NIBLO'S  ''TWIST:' 


Avhen  arrested !  The  officers  who  pursued  him  had  no  idea 
of  what  he  had  done,  and  had  a  long  hunt  before  they  found 
the  owner  to  identify  the  garments.  I  asked  him  why  he  did 
not  throw  them  away,  and  he  replied  that  they  were  the  best 
he  had  ever  "  owned,"  and  fitted  him  so  nicely  he  could  not 
bear  to  part  with  them  —  another  instance  to  prove  that 
"  something  "  always  happens. 

On  account  of  his  previous  convictions  the  judge  gave 
him  ten  years,  but  as  Clark  began  at  once  to  "  cheek  "  him, 
he  withdrew  that  sentence  and  raised  it  to  fifteen  years,  every 
day  of  which  he  served  and  completed  in  the  spring  of  1887. 
I  have  as  little  doubt  that  he  is  now  doing  his  fourth  term  as 
I  have  that  he  will  die  the  same  wretched  death  in  prison  as 
others  whom  I  have  known. 

It  was  very  amusing  to  see  Niblo  Clark,  sitting  at  work  or 
marching  at  exercise,  about  three  times  a  minute  give  his 
head  and  neck  a  peculiar  twist,  like  that  of  a  hen  with  the 
pips.  He  claimed  to  have  the  asthma  and  a  combination  of 
all  throat  and  chest  diseases,  of  which  this  twist  was  the 
external  sign  —  certainly  the  doctors  had  never  been  able  to 
discover  an  interior  sign  of  any  complaint  save  that  he 
appeared  to  be  "  constitutionally  tired."  Niblo  was  a  sort  of 
prison  newspaper,  for,  according  to  his  own  accounts,  he 
knew  all  that  had  happened,  all  that  was  going  to  happen, 
and  many  things  that  could  never  happen,  about  the  prison. 
The  authorities  might  as  well  try  to  stop  the  wind  from  blow- 
ing as  to  stop  his  tongue.  He  would  shout  to  a  friend  at  the 
other  end  of  the  ward,  telling  him  all  his  secrets,  and  how  he 
imposed  on  the  doctors,  with  no  thought  as  to  whetlier  any 
authority  was  listening  or  not. 

One  evening  the  medical  officer  happened  to  come  into 
the  ward,  and,  hearing  Niblo's  voice,  he  walked  lightly  and 
stopped  in  front  of  my  cell,  which  was  next  to  Niblo's,  but 
out  of  his  sight.  There  he  stood,  hearing  Niblo  relate  to  his 
friend  down  the  ward  all  about  how  he  had  taken  the  doctors 
in  for  the  previous  ten  years.     When  there  came  a  pause  the 


A   BIT   OF  FUN. 


455 


doctor  suddenly  put  in  his  oar :  "  Well,  Niblo,"  said  he,  "  You 
have  been  giving  me  an  interesting  story,  but  it  is  quite 
unlike  what  you  tell  me  ordinarily,"  and  the  doctor  went 
tramping  out  of  the  ward,  leaving  Niblo  in  a  state  of  speech- 
less consternation.  After  a  few  minutes  he  recovered  his 
tongue,  and  remarked :  "  By  jingo !  who'd  have  thought  the 
doctor  was  there ! "  "I  did,"  said  I,  "for  I  had  to  stuff  a 
sheet  into  my  mouth  to  keep  from  roaring  while  I  saw  him 
listening." 


Chapter  XLII. 


DR.  POWER  —  GOVERNOR  HARRIS  —  HARD  LIFE  AND  TERRIBLE  DEATH  OF  AN  ITAL- 
IAN CONVICT  —  LORD  KIMBERLT  IN  MY  CELL  —PHILLIPS.  THE  CONVICT  IMPOS- 
TOR—  A  PERAMBULATOR  —  INGRATITUDE  —  ANOTHER  IMPOSTOR  "  RAISED  "  BY 
GALVANIC  SHOCKS  —  BOOZER'S  STORY — SOAP  AS  AN  ARTICLE  OF  DIET  —  HOW 
CONVICTS  GET  INTO  THE  HOSPITAL  —  BEEFSTEAKS  AS  BREASTPLATES — "RE- 
LIABLE" CONVICTS  ON  THE  LOCK-OUT — "  WHOPPER  "  —  HOW  TO  GET  A  GOOD 
DINNER  IN  PRISON  —  SACRIFICING  AN  EYE  FOR  A  FEW  WEEKS  IN  HOSPITAL  — 
TAGGART,   A  PRISON   "  FAKER  "  —  AN  INCURABLE  ABSCESS. 

WITH  one  exception  I  never  saw  among  prison  authori- 
ties a  nobler-hearted  Christian  gentleman  than  Dr.  P. 
Power,  the  medical  officer  in  charge  of  Dartmoor  prison  at 
the  time  of  my  arrival  there.  He  remained  until  the  begin- 
ning of  1878,  when  he  got  transferred  to  Portsmouth  prison, 
where  he  still  was  up  to  the  time  I  left  England,  scattering 
benefits  on  all  the  miserables  with  whom  he  came  in  con- 
tact, either  in  or  out  of  prison. 

One  thing  is  certain  :  Dr.  Power  was  not  cruel  enough  to 
the  prisoners  to  suit  some  warders  and  others.  This  truly 
Christian  medical  officer  never  resented  anything.  On  one 
occasion  a  prisoner,  to  whom  he  had  refused  some  application, 
struck  him  a  heavy  blow  between  the  eyes,  which  blackened 
both.  Every  one  expected  that  the  offender  would  be  flogged 
and  put  in  chains.  But  no  ;  the  doctor  said  that  the  man  who 
w^ould  strike  one  who  was  acting  for  his  benefit  could  not  be 
in  his  right  mind,  and  that  he  should  not  be  punished. 

In  the  second  cell  from  mine — the  one  adjoining  Niblo 
Clark's  —  was  an  Italian,  who,  when  I  arrived,  was  raving 
night  and  day.  His  right  arm  had  been  cut  off  at  the  elbow, 
and  he  was  serving  out  a  term  of  twenty-five  years.     The  fol- 

(456) 


THE  CASE  OF  THE  ITALIAN. 


457 


lowing  is  the  story  of  his  prison  life  as  I  had  it  from  various 
sources : 

Some  years  previously  he  had  been  convicted  of  an  attempt 
to  stab  some  person  in  an  affray,  and  received  a  sentence  of 
five  years'  penal  servitude.  Upon  the  completion  of  his  nine 
months'  probation  at  Millbank  prison,  on  account  of  the  state 
of  his  health  he  was  sent  to  the  invalid  station,  Woking 
prison.  Here  he  under- 
went a  great  deal  of  pun- 
ishment, which  is  almost 
certain  to  be  the  case  with 
foreigners  who  cannot 
speak  the  language.  Eng- 
lishmen of  the  class  from 
which  warders  are  usually 
taken  are  ignorant,  preju- 
diced, and  narrow-minded, 
as  a  matter  of  course.  They 
think  the  customs  and  man- 
ners of  their  own  country 
must  be  right,  and  anything 

different  wrong,  in  consequence  of  which  they  are  not  capa- 
ble of  making  any  allowance  for  the  idiosyncrasies  of  a  man 
who  has  been  brought  up  in  another  land,  amid  surroundings 
totally  unlike  their  own. 

In  consequence  of  this,  the  treatment  of  the  Italian  (who  was 
not  a  habitual  criminal)  in  the  rough,  arbitrary,  and  overbear- 
ing way  to  which  the  great  majority  of  English  convicts  have 
been  accustomed,  would  incite  him  to  violence.  If,  under  a 
feeling  that  he  was  being  grossly  insulted  without  cause,  any 
prisoner  once  gave  way  and  lifted  his  hand,  woe  to  him ;  his 
time  on  earth  would  not  be  long,  or  he  would  be  served  as 
this  Italian  was. 

However  it  came  about,  he  believed  that  an  official  had 
caused  him  to  undergo  great  suffering.  This  injustice,  as  he 
deemed  it,  continued  for  years,  and  worked  him  up  to  a  state 


LORD   KIMBERLY. 


^58  RELEASED  BY  DEATH. 

of  mind  which  made  him  resolve  to  have  revenge  in  true  Ital- 
ian style.  By  some  means  he  procured  a  rusty  nail,  ground 
it  to  a  point,  and  tied  it  on  a  stick.  With  this  impromptu 
dagger,  while  on  parade,  he  rushed  up  to  the  offending  officer 
and  struck  him  a  blow  in  the  chest  which  penetrated  through 
his  clothes  and  pricked  the  skin. 

At  the  time  when  this  mad  freak  was  perpetrated  he 
had  but  a  few  months  to  serve  in  order  to  complete  his  five 
years.  But  now  he  was  taken  out,  tried,  convicted,  and  sen- 
tenced to  twenty-five  years  penal  servitude,  and  was  serving 
it  out  when  I  first  saw  him  at  Dartmoor. 

Deputy  Governor  Harris  was  appointed  Governor  of  Dart- 
moor, and  some  of  the  warders  had  a  fancy  that  they  would 
curry  favor  by  making  it  hot  for  the  Italian.  However  this 
may  be,  it  was  not  long  before  they  twisted  his  arm  —  a  trick 
they  have  —  so  that  the  doctor  had  to  amputate  it,  as  stated, 
at  the  elbow.  At  the  time  I  arrived  he  was  a  raving  maniac, 
and  should  have  been  sent,  as  were  many  not  so  crazy,  to 
a  prison  lunatic  asylum.  I  do  not  know  the  reason  this  was 
not  done,  but  it  certainly  was  a  remarkable  circumstance 
that  he  was  not  sent.  Influences  were  brought  to  bear  so 
that  concealments,  backed  by  misrepresentations,  ended  in 
inducing  the  doctor  to  order  him  sent  to  the  punishment-cells, 
where,  not  long  after,  he  died.  Judging  by  my  knowledge  of 
the  doctor's  character,  I  do  not  believe  that  he  ever  discharged 
the  man  out  of  the  hospital,  and  I  am  more  inclined  to  give 
credence  to  the  other  account  which  was  current,  viz.,  that 
some  officer  either  gave  the  order  himself  or  procured  it  from 
higher  quarters. 

Throughout  the  few  months  during  which  I  had  nothing 
to  do  with  my  fellow  prisoners,  the  doctor  treated  me  most 
kindly  and  continued  to  do  so.  The  second  summer  I  was 
taken  for  a  month  into  the  yard  an  hour  each  day,  the  rest  of 
the  time  I  lay  prostrate  in  bed,  my  shoulders,  knees,  and 
thighs  swollen  to  nearly  double  their  ordinary  size.  For  many 
months  I  lay  at  the  point  of  death,  no  one  believing  it  possible 


A  TRUE  NOBLEMAN.  459 

that  I  could  recover.  The  fact  that  the  doctor  certified  that 
my  case  was  genuine  was  reason  enough  why  some  warders, 
who  were  at  loggerheads  with  him,  should  declare  that  I  was 
shamming,  and  sufficient  to  cause  them  to  make  misstatements 
as  to  my  words  and  acts,  in  order  to  favor  that  side  of  the 
question  and  influence  the  doctor  against  me. 

In  the  meantime  a  prisoner  named  Phillips  was  con- 
stantly running  the  doctor  down  to  me,  till,  without  the 
slightest  real  ground,  1  began  to  think  he  was  my  enemy. 
Phillips  finally  led  me  to  believe  that  the  doctor  was 
doing  me  some  injury.  The  governor  on  his  rounds  came 
in  to  see  me  every  day,  and  was  always  very  polite  and 
smiling,  and  in  my  weak  condition  I  began  to  make  com- 
plaints to  him  against  the  doctor,  there  being  no  foundation 
for  them  but  the  fancies  put  in  my  head  by  Phillips  —  the 
weak  state  of  mind  to  which  I  was  reduced,  making  me  a  fit 
subject  for  such  as  he  to  operate  upon.  The  governor  di- 
rected that  a  statement-sheet  should  be  given  me,  so  that  I 
could  write  out  my  complaints  for  the  director,  and  this  I  did. 

Despite  my  complaints  against  him  the  doctor  continued 
to  treat  me  in  the  best  manner,  and  matters  run  on  until  the 
winter  of  1876-7,  when  one  day  I  heard  a  great  clattering  of 
feet  coming  down  the  stone-paved  corridor,  and  presently  the 
cell  door  was  thrown  open  and  "  Attention  "  shouted.  I  saw 
in  the  corridor  the  doctor,  governor,  deputy-governor,  chief 
warder,  and  a  retinue  of  warders,  who  all  formed  the  suite  of 
a  large,  fine-looking  man,  whom  I  afterwards  discovered  was 
no  less  a  personage  than  the  Earl  of  Kimberly,  after  whom 
the  Kimberly  diamond  mine  in  South  Africa  was  named,  and 
who,  at  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing,  held  the  office  of  Colo- 
nial Secretary  of  State.  My  lord  entered  the  cell — he  had  to 
bend  his  head  —  closed  the  door  behind  him,  came  to  the 
side  of  my  bed,  and  in  a  pleasant  tone  of  voice  asked  me  how 
I  was,  and  if  I  had  any  complaints  to  make.  1  saw  that  he 
must  be  some  dignitary,  and  that  the  governor  had  brought 
him  for  the  purpose  of  letting  him  hear  my  grumbles  against 


460  A  BASE  ACTION  REGRETTED. 

the  doctor.  Really  fancying  at  the  time  that  I  had  grounds 
for  complaints,  I  went  on  to  state  them.  His  manner  was 
kind,  and  his  demeanor  the  same  as  that  of  all  other  true  gen- 
tlemen, however  high  their  station,  towards  the  unfortunate. 

Aside  from  his  position  as  Colonial  Secretary  of  State,  he 
had  been  appointed  one  of  three  special  commissioners  to 
examine  into  the  state  of  the  convicts  in  Her  Majesty's 
prisons.  I  have  regretted  to  this  day,  and  it  has  been  a  mat- 
ter of  wonder  to  me  how  my  mind  could  have  been  so  acted 
upon  as  to  make  me  complain  against  such  a  noble-hearted 
man  as  Dr.  Power,  a  skillful  physician,  who,  in  addition  to  his 
duties  in  the  prison,  had  a  large  practice  which  frequently 
took  him  out  of  bed  among  the  poverty-stricken  wretches 
which  abound  every  where  in  England,  the  direct  effect  of  a 
cause  that  fills  the  prisons,  viz.,  the  legalized  trade  in  beer 
and  spirits. 

Phillips  had  been  in  the  army,  and  for  the  offense  of  strik- 
ing an  officer  had  been  court-martialed  and  sentenced  to 
undergo  seven  years  penal  servitude.  After  doing  his  nine 
months'  probation  at  Brixton,  the  place  where  military  and 
naval  convicts  were  sent  to  do  it,  he  was  sent  to  Chatham  to 
complete  the  term.  As  labor,  and  in  fact  any  employment, 
had  never  agreed  with  him,  he  suddenly  became  "  paralyzed  " 
in  the  whole  right  side,  and  pretended  that  he  could  not 
move  the  right  arm  and  leg.  The  usual  tortures  were  ap- 
plied, the  battery,  straight-jacket,  shower-bath,  etc.,  and  as 
he  stood  all  these  for  three  or  four  months  without  wincing, 
or  showing  any  other  sign  which  would  enable  the  doctors  to 
penetrate  the  deception,  he  was  sent  to  the  Woking  invalid 
station  and  put  into  the  same  corridor  in  a  cell  near  mine. 
I  have  said  elsewhere  that  there  was  little  restraint  on  talk- 
ing, and  we  could  give  food  to  one  another,  or  write  notes 
on  slates  and  send  by  the  "  cleaner,"  who  would  watch  an 
opportunity  to  shove  them  under  the  door,  there  having 
been  left  a  space  of  four  inches  by  the  width  of  the  door  for 
the  purpose  of  ventilation. 


IMPOSTURE.  461 

Phillips  made  all  the  trouble  he  could,  depending  on  his 
supposed  physical  state  to  escape  the  punishment  he  deserved. 
I  will  not  relate  further  particulars,  but  conclude  by  relating 
that  when  his  time  was  nearly  served  the  kind-hearted  doctor 
very  considerately  had  a  perambulator  made,  in  which  he 
could  get  about  after  being  discharged  from  prison.  An 
officer  named  Nichols,  an  ex-marine,  was  sent  with  him  and 
assisted  in  lifting  him  into  the  train.  On  their  arrival  at 
Birmingham  this  scamp  stood  up  on  his  feet,  and  pointing  to 
the  wheeled  chair,  said :  "  Take  that  thing  back  to  Dr.  Power, 

and  tell  him  to "  (an  expression  of  course  too  vile  to  bear 

repetition).  Phillips  then  walked  out  of  the  car  and  disap- 
peared among  the  crowd  on  the  station  platform.  On  his 
return  with  the  chair,  assistant  warder  Nichols,  being  on 
duty  in  my  ward,  gave  me  the  particulars. 

Think  what  effect  such  an  occurrence  would  be  likely  to 
have  on  the  doctor,  and  what  the  higher  authorities  would 
think  of  him,  when  they  were  informed  of  the  occurrence.  It 
is  such  cases,  often  recurring,  which  cause  the  doctors  to 
inflict,  in  the  way  of  tests,  unbounded  sufferings  on  many 
genuine  cases ;  and  this  one  caused  several  invalids,  of  whom 
I  was  one,  to  be  put  through  a  series  of  fresh  tests,  and  it 
caused  me  several  years  of  horrors. 

As  an  instance  of  how  the  doctors  are  imposed  on,  I  give 
the  following :  A  young  man  of  eighteen  years  was  suddenly 
prostrated,  or,  rather,  prostrated  himself,  giving  the  impression 
that  he  had  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  and  as  he  stood  the  usual 
torture  tests  his  case  was  considered  genuine,  and  he  remained 
in  hospital,  in  the  next  cell  to  me.  After  he  had  lain 
in  bed  without  speaking  for  six  months,  the  medical  officer 
left,  and  Dr.  Reid,  an  old  army  doctor,  came  to  fill  the  vacant 
post  till  a  new  appointment  should  be  made.  In  the  mean- 
time the  man  had  been  shifted  into  a  cell  lower  down  the 
ward. 

One  morning  I  heard  the  buzz  of  the  battery,  and  said  to 
myself:  "  That  fellow  is  getting  a  shock."     Presently  I  heard 


462  ^^-  REID'S  HUMANITY. 

some  one  rushing  down  the  ward,  followed  by  another,  and, 
looking  through  the  four-inch  strips  of  glass,  I  saw  the 
"  paralyzed "  young  man  going  past  at  high  speed,  and  Dr. 
Reid  close  after  him.  Just  past  my  cell  the  doctor  caught 
him  and  asked  him  why  he  had  tried  to  impose  on  the  doctors. 
The  young  man  told  him  in  reply  that  the  warder  over  his 
gang  had  a  grudge  against  him,  and  constantly  reported  and 
had  him  punished  for  every  trifling  infraction  of  the  rules, 
and  that  those  whom  he  liked  did  still  worse  things  with 
impunity.  Dr.  Reid  listened  to  him,  and  after  a  moment 
said,  as  near  as  I  remember :  "  You  are  young,  and  I  will 
give  you  a  chance.  You  know  that  if  I  discharged  you  from 
the  Infirmary  you  would  be  severely  flogged,  but  if  you  will 
promise  me  to  go  on  right,  I  will  have  you  sent  away  to 
another  station,  where  you  will  have  an  opportunity  for  a 
fresh  start."  I  did  not  doubt  the  young  man's  story,  and 
thought  this  a  just  and  humane  conclusion. 

Cases  of  imposture  were  of  constant  occurrence  while  I 
was  at  Dartmoor.  In  order  to  get  into  the  hospital,  men 
would  bring  on  incurable  diseases  by  swallowing  pounded 
glass ;  eating  soap,  to  bring  on  an  appearance  of  atrophy ; 
pushing  small  pieces  of  copper  w^ire  into  the  flesh,  and  leaving 
them  there  until  the  blood  was  poisoned ;  putting  lime  in  the 
eyes,  to  bring  on  inflammation,  etc. 

A  young  man  known  by  the  flash  name  of  "  Boozer,"  on 
account  of  continual  boozing  at  the  public  houses  whenever 
he  was  out  of  jail  or  prison,  was  in  the  next  cell  to  the  one 
occupied  by  me.  It  will  be  remembered  that  these  had  sheet- 
iron  partitions,  so  that  whispering  and  talk  could  be  carried 
on  with  impunity.  Boozer  was  born  in  the  London  slums,  of 
drunken  parents.  He  said  he  did  not  remember  when  he 
first  began  to  drink.  He  went  through  the  usual  course  of 
London  children,  who,  from  the  time  they  can  toddle,  are  left 
to  gutter  influences.  At  first,  thieving  for  food  and,  as  he 
grew  up,  to  obtain  the  means  for  indulging  in  the  accumu- 
lating vices,  he  had  continued  the  routine  through  reformatory 


SELF-MAIMING.  4(53 

and  jail,  and  was  now  doing  his  third  term  of  penal  servitude. 
He  was  up  to  all  the  tricks  and  ways  of  how  to  get  on  through 
his  period  of  incarceration  with  the  performance  of  as  little 
labor  as  possible. 

On  arrival  at  Dartmoor  he  had  been  put  at  work  in  the 
quarry,  but  finding  that  too  hard  for  him,  he  dropped  a  heavy 
stone  on  his  foot  and  injured  it  so  that  the  doctor  was  obliged 
to  take  him  into  the  hospital.  While  there,  by  the  time  his 
foot  was  healed,  he  had  eaten  so  much  soap  that  he  was  grad- 
ually wasting  away  to  a  skeleton,  and  the  doctor  could  not 
tell  what  ailed  him.  He  finally  told  the  doctor  that  he  did 
not  get  enough  to  eat,  and  wanted  to  be  put  in  the  cook-house 
to  work.  The  doctor  was  glad  to  get  rid  of  him  at  any  price, 
for  he  was  pretty  certain  that  the  man  was  maltreating,  or  in 
prison  slang,  "  faking "  himself.  Accordingly  he  was  sent 
into  the  kitchen,  and  I  saw  no  more  of  him  for  three  months. 
One  day  I  was  sitting  in  the  exercising-ground  when  a  party 
of  men  harnessed  to  a  cart  full  of  coke  passed  by,  and  one  of 
them — a  big,  burly,  red-cheeked  fellow,  whom  I  failed  to 
recognize  on  account  of  his  fatness — bowed  to  me.  I  asked 
another  man  who  it  was.     "  Why,  that  is  Boozer,"  he  replied. 

A  few  days  later  he  was  again  put  in  the  next  cell,  and 
on  asking  him  why  he  was  in  hospital  again  he  said  that  he 
had  "  faked  "  his  leg  and  it  was  badly  swollen.  I  asked  him 
how  he  did  it,  and  he  explained  that  he  had  with  a  needle 
drawn  a  thread  through  the  flesh  in  his  knee,  and  had  left  it 
until  it  had  become  so  bad  he  could  not  bear  it  longer,  then 
he  had  drawn  out  the  thread  and  shown  the  sore  to  the  doctor. 

He  had  a  great  deal  to  say  about  the  abuses  that  he  saw 
going  on  in  the  kitchen,  and  as  what  he  said  corroborates 
what  I  had  been  told  by  other  prisoners  who  had  worked 
there,  I  will  give  the  substance  of  his  remarks.  The  bread 
was  supposed  to  be  made  from  unbolted  wheat  flour,  or 
what  in  the  United  States  is  called  graham  flour.  Instead  of 
this,  he  said  they  mixed  bran,  middlings,  and  flour,  some  of 
which  was  generally  musty.     Having  had  a  long  experience 


464  COOK-HOUSE  EPISODES. 

of  the  virtue  of  graham  bread,  in  America,  and  knowing  that 
all  English  prisons  were  to  be  supplied  with  it  by  order  of  the 
chief  authorities,  I  had  often  wondered  why  the  brown  bread 
actually  supplied  was  not  up  to  the  mark,  and  had  taken 
pains  to  learn  all  I  could  as  to  how  business  was  carried  on 
in  that  most  important  department  —  that  of  feeding  the 
twenty-five  thousand,  more  or  less,  of  wretches  in  English 
prisons  who  were  deprived  of  all  opportunity  of  getting  food 
for  themselves.  The  warder  in  charge  of  the  cook-house  is 
called  the  head-cook,  although  he  does  no  cooking — that 
being  done  by  prisoners  who  in  all  probability  never  had  any 
experience  in  cookery.  He  oversees  the  ten  to  twenty  who 
do  the  work,  and  these  must  be  what  he  calls  reliable  men  — 
that  is  to  say,  men  who  are  devoted  to  him,  who  will  watch 
for  him,  assist  him  in  his  peccadilloes,  and  help  to  swear  him 
out  of  any  difficulty  with  his  superiors  when  anything  goes 
wrong.  The  governor,  the  doctors,  deputy  governor,  and 
chief  warder  are  the  authorities  whom  he  and  his  helpers 
fear,  and  one  of  the  latter  is  always  on  the  watch  to  give  the 
signal  when  either  of  those  are  coming  toward  the  cook-house. 
"Here  comes  the  chief!"  etc.,  and  instantly  all  spring  around 
lively  to  set  everything  to  rights  and  conceal  any  evidences 
of  irregularities  and  peculations. 

There  is  a  considerable  quantity  of  eggs,  butter,  sugar,  etc., 
allowed  by  the  orders  of  the  doctors  to  make  puddings  for  the 
hospital.  As  I  said,  from  information  derived  from  independ- 
ent sources  —  that  of  several  prisoners  who  worked  in  the 
Dartmoor  kitchen  at  various  periods  —  it  is  a  regular  thing 
for  at  least  one-half  of  those  prison  dainties  to  be  made 
away  with  by  the  warder  and  his  helpers.  More  than  one  of 
these  has  assured  me  that  the  warder  used  to  cut  off  thick 
steaks  from  the  best  beef — that  allowed  for  hospital  beef-tea 
—  and  when  he  was  ready  to  go  home,  lay  them  on  his  breast 
and  button  his  overcoat,  and  thus  "  get  away  "  with  five  or 
six  pounds.  I  have  been  told  that,  before  the  cells  were 
lighted  with  gas,  certain  warders  would  frequently  fill  the 


AN  OPTICAL  INCIDENT.  4^5 

coat-tail  pockets  of  their  overcoats  with  candles.  When  I 
was  in  the  dormitory  at  Woking  prison,  one  Whopper  sent  word 
to  a  friend  of  his,  who  was  working  in  the  kitchen,  where  he 
was  located.  The  consequence  was,  that  the  tray  which  con- 
tained our  four  dormitory  dinners  had  the  very  best  quality  of 
prison  rations,  and  on  the  four  meat  days  an  extra  quantity  of 
meat,  with  half  a  pound  to  a  pound  of  melted  fat.  The  dozen 
dinners  in  that  tray  were  all  alike,  thus  ensuring  Whopper  a 
"  square  meal  "  however  they  might  be  distributed.  To  do 
this  a  hundred  other  men  were  robbed  of  some  portion  of 
their  share.  A  quantity  of  cocoa  was  allowed  sufficient  to 
make  a  good  three-quarters  of  a  pint  for  each,  but  chunks  of 
cocoa  were  secretly  passed  all  over  the  prison  to  the  many 
favored  ones  who  had  a  friend  at  court,  in  consequence  of 
which  the  cocoa  was  weaker. 

But  I  have  wandered  from  the  subject  of  impositions  on 
the  doctors.  Another  man,  whose  name  I  cannot  recollect, 
but  will  call  Brown,  was  for  a  time  in  the  next  cell  at  Dart- 
moor. Upon  inquiring,  I  ascertained  from  him  that  he  had 
put  lime  in  his  right  eye,  and  this  had  brought  on  something 
like  a  cataract,  at  least  that  was  what  the  doctor  told  him  it 
was.  I  heard  the  doctor  order  the  warder  to  see  that  Brown 
had  no  food  before  the  operation  was  performed,  telling  him 
that  this  would  prevent  him  from  being  sick  with  the  conse- 
quence of  losing  the  eye.  The  warder  forgot  his  instructions, 
and  the  next  morning  gave  him  his  breakfast.  Brown  had 
heard  the  doctor's  orders,  and  after  he  had  eaten,  asked  me 
what  I  thought  of  it.  I  replied,  that  he  had  done  very  foolishly, 
and  that  he  must  tell  the  doctor  ;  but  the  warder  would  not 
allow  him  to  do  so,  well  knowing  that  he  would  be  fined  half 
a  crown  for  breach  of  orders. 

About  ten  o'clock,  he  was  removed  from  the  cell  into  the 
large  hospital  dormitory  where  the  doctor  operated  for  the 
cataract,  but  during  the  operation.  Brown  was  taken  sick  at 
the  stomach,  and  the  strain  caused  the  eye  to  burst  and  run 
out.  This  warder,  rather  than  get  the  operation  adjourned  at 
30 


4(36  INCURABLE. 

the  risk  of  losing  thirty  cents  out  of  his  inadequate  salary, 
caused  Brown  to  lose  his  eye.  A  week  after  the  operation,  he 
was  discharged  from  the  hospital,  and  I  saw  nothing  more  of 
him  for  some  months,  at  the  end  of  which,  he  was  again  in 
the  hospital  totally  blind.  This  young  man  of  twenty,  who 
had  only  a  seven  years'  term,  to  escape  hard  labor  in  the 
quarry  deliberately  risked  his  eyesight.  This  was  his  first 
term  and  he  appeared  to  be  above  the  average  intelligence  of 
prisoners. 

Another  young  man,  named  Taggart,  was  doing  his  second 
penal  term,  the  first  of  five  and  this  of  seven  years.  He  was 
in  the  hospital  in  a  cell  opposite  mine  for  a  number  of  years. 
When  I  left  Dartmoor  he  was  on  his  last  year.  Despite  every 
effort  to  prevent  it,  he  had  managed  to  "  fake  "  a  sore  on  his 
left  knee-joint,  and  to  keep  it  open  until  the  leg  had  become 
permanently  crooked  and  stiff.  In  order  to  give  the  sore  a 
chance  to  heal,  he  had  been  for  months  in  an  observation  cell, 
like  the  one  described  in  a  former  chapter,  under  watch  day 
and  night,  but  that  sore  would  not  get  well. 

At  other  times  he  had  been  kept  in  a  straight-jacket  for 
the  same  purpose,  but  even  that  would  not  cure  that  abscess. 
One  night  he  got  off  the  straight-jacket  and  pushed  it  out 
through  the  open  ventilator  into  the  yard.  He  boasted  to  his 
fellow  prisoners  and  told  all  about  how  he  managed,  and 
hardly  denied  when  the  doctor  charged  him  with  "  faking  "  it. 
The  authorities  had  such  good  proofs  that  he  did  tamper  with 
it,  that  he  was  brought  before  the  director  and  flogged  with  a 
cat-o'-nine-tails,  but  his  back  had  become  so  tough  and  seamed 
by  former  floggings  that  even  this  extreme  measure  failed  to 
cure  his  sore. 

Years  after,  while  I  was  at  Woking,  I  heard  that  after  he 
had  been  set  at  liberty,  it  was  not  long  before  he  was  in  again, 
serving  a  third  term  of  ten  or  fifteen  years,  and  in  the  Infirm- 
ary because  of  that  abscess. 


Chapter  XLIII. 


KILL  OR  CURE — PUNISHMENT  CELLS — THE  TAILORS'  SHOP  —  BEFORE  THE  GOV- 
ERNOR—  BREAD  AND  WATER  —  THE  CRANK  —  GRINDING  THE  WIND  —  PRINCI- 
PAL WARDER  WESTLAKE  —  I  OBTAIN  "  PORRIDGE  "  AT  LAST  —  ON  THE  BARE 
BOARDS  —  DESPERATION  —  CUT  MY  THROAT  —  IN  HANDCUFFS  —  RESCUED  BY 
TEE  CHAPLAIN,  REV.  A.  H.  FERRIS —A  GOOD  SAMARITAN  —  A  GOVERNOR'S,  CHAP- 
LAINS', AND  CONVICTS'  LETTERS  —  A  PRISON  "  SHAVE  "  —  AN  ELECTRIC  CAN- 
NONADE—  IN  EXTREMITY  —  GOVERNOR  AVERY  AND  HIS  NOBLE-HEARTED 
WIFE  —  WARDER  WESTLAKE  BROUGHT  TO  BOOK  — A  CONVICT  SHOT  DEAD  — 
ANOTHER    BAIJLY    WOUNDED. 

A  FEW  hours  after' my  interview  with  Lord  Kimberly, 
after  he  had  left  the  prison,  an  order  was  given  to 
transfer  me  to  the  punishment-cells  in  prison  number  seven. 
After  having  complained  against  the  doctor,  the  governor 
took  my  case  in  his  own  hands,  believing  that  his  method 
would  soon  cure  me.  These  punishment-cells  contain  nothing 
in  the  way  of  furniture  except  a  raised  platform  of  hard  wood 
on  one  side  large  enough  for  the  occupant  to  lie  down  on,  with 
a  piece  of  wood  fastened  at  one  end  for  a  pillow.  Most  of 
these  cells  are  changed  into  dungeons,  having  sheet-iron  nailed 
over  the  windows,  shutting  out  the  light.  I  was  put  in  one 
which  contained  a  mattress  and  bed-blankets,  a  tin  knife,  a 
wooden  spoon,  a  deal  table,  and  a  bench.  I  was  put  on  the 
ordinary  prison  diet.  An  order  was  given  by  the  governor 
that  I  was  to  be  carried  to  the  tailor  shop  and  set  to  work  as 
an  able-bodied  man.  At  7  o'clock  the  next  morning  a  warder 
appeared  with  two  men  from  the  tailor  shop ;  one  of  these 
took  me  on  his  shoulders  and  started ;  half  way  he  put  me 
down,  and  the  other  took  me,  reached  a  flight  of  steps,  and 
at  last  landed  me  on  the  shop  floor.  Having  been  for  nearly 
five   years  almost   continuously  shut   in  a  cell,  this  change 

(467) 


4(38  ROUGH  TREATMENT. 

was  very  grateful  to  me.  Some  articles  of  clothing  being 
given  me,  I  sewed  away  as  though  I  had  been  a  born  tailor. 
At  noon  I  was  carried  back  to  my  cell,  and,  as  I  had  been 
unable  to  swallow  any  breakfast  gruel,  I  was  obliged  to  eat 
the  prison  dinner,  though  from  former  experience  I  had  some 
misgivings  as  to  my  stomach's  ability  to  digest  it.  At  1 
o'clock  I  was  again  taken  to  the  shop,  and  went  on  all  right 
for  two  or  three  hours,  by  which  time  I  became  so  sick  that  I 
could  no  longer  retain  the  food  eaten,  as  it  had  turned  excess- 
ively acid.  Seeing  my  state,  the  master  tailor,  Mr.  Rayford, 
who  had  charge  of  the  shop,  sent  me  back  to  my  cell,  but  the 
warder  was  obliged  to  report  me  for  idleness,  that  affording 
a  legal  pretext  for  taking  the  next  step  in  the  drama.  Ac- 
cordingly the  next  morning  two  warders  came  to  my  cell, 
and,  each  grasping  an  ankle,  dragged  me  fifty  yards  over  the 
flag-stones  of  the  court  to  the  door  of  the  governor's  office. 
After  lying  on  the  stones  for  some  time  the  door  was  thrown 
open  and  I  was  carried  into  his  presence,  when  about  the  fol- 
lowing occurred: 

Governor  —  "You  are  charged  with  idleness.  What 
have  you  to  say  for  yourself  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  beyond  what  you  know  from  the  doctor,"  I 
replied. 

Governor  —  ''Three  days  bread  and  water  and  eighty- 
four  remission  marks." 

As  these  words  left  his  lips,  I  was  seized  by  the  jacket 
collar  and  dragged  outside,  then  two  assistant  warders  seized 
me,  one  by  the  ankles  the  other  by  the  wrists,  and  carried  me 
along  head-first,  face  upward,  lifting  me  up  and  bumping  me 
down  on  the  pavement  at  every  step,  at  the  same  time  the 
one  behind  giving  me  a  "  helper  "  in  the  rear  every  time  he 
brought  his  right  foot  forward.  In  this  way  they  conveyed 
me  into  one  of  the  cells  with  the  window  darkened  as  de- 
scribed, and  1  was  thrown  down  to  lie  on  the  bare  boards  until 
night,  when  a  thin  mattress  and  blanket  were  put  in.  Bread 
and  water  was  no  punishment  to  me,  for  I  could  not  eat  with- 
out distress  even  the  pound  of  bread  per  day. 


''ONE  DEMD  HORRID  GRIND!''  4^9 

When  the  three  days  were  up  I  was  taken  back  into  the  for- 
mer cell  and  put  on  prison  diet  again  ;  and  again  I  was  carried 
to  the  tailor  shop  to  go  through  the  same  routine,  including 
the  bread  and  water. 

A  third  time  I  was  brought  before  the  governor,  and  he 
now  tried  a  new  plan  of  cure.  As  I  had  good  use  of  my 
hands  and  arms  he  sentenced  me  to  the  crank,  and  I  was 
taken  to  still  another  cell,  and  placed  on  a  stool  by  the  crank. 
I  began  turning  away  for  dear  life,  and  there  the  reader  may 
leave  me  for  the  present  to  read  a  description  of  that  wind- 
grinding  instrument. 

The  crank  consists  of  a  circular  plate  of  iron  fixed  in  the 
wall  of  the  cell ;  through  the  center  of  this  plate  runs  a 
spindle  to  which  is  attached  a  crank  something  like,  only 
longer  than  that  of  a  grindstone.  Just  above  the  center  is  a 
dial-plate  about  four  inches  in  diameter,  which  shows  the  num- 
ber of  the  revolutions,  having  different  pointers  for  the  tens, 
hundreds,  and  thousands.  Before  the  occupant  can  have  his 
breakfast  he  must  turn  the  handle  1,875  revolutions.  His 
dinner  must  be  earned  with  5,000,  and  his  supper  with  4,000 
turns.  If  any  one  of  my  readers  wishes  to  experiment  on  what 
amount  of  labor  those  figures  represent,  let  him  get  some  one 
to  grind  an  old  axe,  bearing  on  pretty  hard,  while  he  turns 
the  grindstone  and  counts. 

There  is  a  loaded  brake  attached  to  the  handle,  so  that  it 
requires  the  application  of  considerable  power  and  great  endur- 
ance to  make  it  spin  thirty-five  times  a  minute  in  order  to 
earn  the  food  m  time.  Few  men  possess  patience  sufficient  to 
enable  them  to  hold  their  temper  when,  after  turning  until 
they  are  breathless,  they  look  at  the  dial  and  see  that  it  has 
moved  so  very  short  a  space  of  its  journey  around.  Certainly 
it  is  the  only  example  on  record  by  which  men  literally  earn 
their  bread  by  grinding  the  wind. 

Outside  of  the  cell,  fixed  in  the  wall,  is  a  dial  also  con- 
nected with  the  crank,  so  that  the  warder  can  see  at  a  glance 
how  industriously  the  wind-grinder  is  working.     In  case  he 


470  ^   ^^^  KNIFE  AND  A  TOUGH  THROAT. 

fails  to  make  the  required  number  of  turns,  10,875  in  the 
course  of  the  day,  the  warder  reports  him  for  idleness,  and 
the  result  is  three  days'  bread  and  water,  with  loss,  less  or 
greater,  of  remission  marks,  at  the  discretion  of  the  governor, 
up  to  a  certain  number. 

After  my  time  on  the  crank  had  expired,  I  was  put  back 
in  my  cell  and  then  taken  to  the  tailor-shop  again.  Under 
this  treatment,  daily  becoming  weaker,  and  obliged  to  con- 
tinue swallowing  the  prison  diet,  the  same  cause  produced 
like  effects,  and  for  some  weeks  following  I  was  revolving 
through  a  circle  of  punishments,  of  which  one  station  was  the 
tailor-shop.  Woi-k  was  then  brought  to  my  cell,  but  I  had 
become  so  weakened  that  I  could  only  sew  while  lying  on  my 
back  on  the  floor.  Under  these  circumstances  I  could  not  do 
much,,  and  the  principal  warder,  Westlake,  who  had  charge  of 
the  punishment-cells,  reported  me  for  idleness ;  and  as  the 
doctor  would  not  permit  even  the  governor  to  put  me  on 
bread  and  water  again,  when  I  was  brought  before  him  he 
put  me  on  penal-class  diet — porridge  at  last!  the  very  diet 
I  had  four  years  previously  failed  to  obtain  at  Pentonville, 
getting  chains  instead. 

Ever  since  I  had  been  transferred  from  the  hospital,  every 
article  of  bedding  had  been  removed  from  my  cell,  so  that  I 
was  obliged  to  lie  all  day  on  the  planks ;  and  the  warders  all 
having  "  got  the  tip,"  judging  from  my  treatment,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  in  other  respects  they  were  not  as  gentle  as 
they  might  have  been.  At  all  events,  I  had  got  into  a  state 
of  mind  and  body  which  made  me  feel  that  death  was  far 
preferable  to  such  a  life.  In  my  desperation  and  despair  I 
took  the  tin  strip  used  for  a  knife,  and  after  sharpening  it 
against  the  stone  wall,  I  tried  to  cut  my  throat,  but  discov- 
ered that  it  was  tough  —  so  tough  that  I  sawed  away  with  all 
my  force  for  some  minutes,  when,  by  the  rate  at  which  it 
bled,  I  thought  it  was  enough  to  put  an  end  to  my  troubles. 
I  lost  consciousness,  and  when  I  came  to  myself  the  doctor 
was  pushing  a  needle  through  to  sew  up  the  gash,  the  cica- 
trice  of  which  is  still  visible. 


THE  CHAPLAIN,  GOD  BLESS  HIM! 


471 


A  few  days  later,  in  Westlake's  presence,  I  gave  utterance 
to  long-repressed  words  expressive  of  my  opinion  regarding 
his  treatment  of  me.  He  left  the  cell  without  a  word,  and 
shortly  returned  with  a  couple  of  warders  to  assist  him  to 
handcuff  my  hands  behind  my  back,  in  which  condition  —  a 
horrible  one  for  a  man  crippled  in  the  legs  to  try  to  sleep  in — 
he  left  me  until  the  next  morning,  when  the  assistant  doctor 
came,  Dr.  Power  being  absent.  He  now  had  the  effrontery 
to  tell  the  doctor,  in  my  presence,  that  he  had  been  obliged 
to  handcuff  me  to  prevent  me  from  doing  myself  another 
injury !  It  was  impossible  to  sleep  in  the  handcuffs,  and  I  had 
not  a  wink  for  three  days,  nor  did  I  eat  one  mouthful  of  food 
or  moisten  my  lips  with  a  drop  of  water,  while  undergoing  so 
unjust  a  punishment. 

At  this  time  Mr.  Rickards,  the  excellent  chaplain  of  Dart- 
moor prison,  was  absent  on  his  annual  holiday,  and  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Ferris,  rector  of  Charlestown  in 
Cornwall,  was  officiating  in  his  stead. 
On  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  he 
was  passing  my  cell  and  heard  groans. 
He  stopped,  and  after  looking  through 
the  spy-hole,  unlocked  the  door  and 
came  in  —  the  chaplain  being  allowed 
a  key.  Upon  seeing  my  condition 
he  was  horrified,  being  an  outsider 
and  not  hardened  to  such  sights, 
and  went  at  once  to  see  Governor 
Harris,  expostulating  with  him  for 
permitting  such  cruelty  to  a  man  in 

my  condition.  The  governor  sent  over  an  order  that  the 
handcuffs  were  to  be  at  once  removed,  which  of  course  war- 
der Westlake  was  obliged  to  do,  very  much  to  his  chagrin. 
To  take  it  out  in  another  way,  he  had  me  stripped,  put  into 
the  bath,  and  scrubbed  with  a  splint-broom  brush,  until  I  was 
pretty  well  skinned. 


REV.    A.    H.    FEERIS. 


472  FACSIMILE  OF  GOVERNOR  HARRIS'S  LETTER. 

The  accompanying  memorandum  letter  from  Governor 
Harris  may  perhaps  be  read  with  interest,  as  a  genuine  prison 
document ;  it  will  certainly  convince  the  reader  that  my  cor- 
respondence was  not  excessive: 

No.  589D. 

OiiTiK*  u.  iL  n.) 


TJie  Governor, 

M*M.  Prison, 


%z 


7%^  yf^^J.^// 


I  regard  it  an  honor  to  be  able  to  present  in  this  volume 
a  letter  from  so  good  a  man  as  the  Rev.  A.  H.  Ferris, 
accompanied  by  a  truthful  portrait.  Readers  have  here  an 
opportunity  to  look  a  true  English  Samaritan  in  the  face. 


LETTER  FROM  REV.  A.  H.  FERRIS.  473 

Charlestown, 
Jan:  3,  St.  Anstell, 

1888.  Cornwall. 

My  Dear  Bid  well,  —  Your  letter  came  upon  me  like  a  resur- 
rection.  I  had  quite  given  you  up  to  the  great  majority,  after 
reading  the  sad  accounts  of  your  treatment  in  the  various  news- 
papers. I  am  so  glad  you  have  recovered  your  health  after  all  the 
troubles  and  afflictions  laid  upon  3^ou.  How  thankful  you  must  feel 
now  you  are  once  more  allowed  to  rest  in  the  bosom  of  your  own 
family  and  amongst  your  own  friends.  I  have  often  thought  of 
you,  talked  of  you,  and  prayed  for  you  ;  but  I  never  expected  to 
hear  that  you  w^ere  liberated,  they  all  seemed  so  embittered  against 
you. 

Thank  you  very  much  for  your  kind  offer  of  a  bed  at  your 
house.  I  wish  I  could  accept  it ;  it  would  give  me  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure  to  do  so,  but  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  am  in  great  pecuniary 
difficulties  just  now  —  a  friend  (?)  has  cheated  me  out  of  £150, 
and  as  I  am  not  a  rich  man,  the  loss  has  caused  and  will  cause  me 
great  trouble.  I  am  afraid  I  shall  not  be  able  to  meet  my  liabili- 
ties this  year.  God  help  me  !  —  but  I  must  not  enter  into  my  own 
troubles. 

1  am  afraid  your  book  will  be  rather  personal  if  you  insert  my 
photo,  letter,  and  several  lines  of  ''abuse,"  in  explanation.  Plain 
facts  and  statements  of  your  prison  experience  will  fetch  English 
people  more  than  anything  else.  The  true  story  of  your  sufferings 
would  create  deep  feelings  of  sympathy  and  interest  and  do  more  to 
sell  the  book  than  whole  heaps  of  parsons'  letters  and  photos. 

I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  tell  you  that  we  have  at  last  succeeded 
in  getting  that  man  Watson  released.  1  do  not  know  whether 
you  will  remember  him.  He  was  a  lifer;  a  painter  and  glazier 
by  trade  ;  crime,  writing  threatening  letters.  Twenty  years  the 
poor  fellow  has  been  shut  up  at  Dartmoor,  a  thoroughly  well 
behaved  man.  Never  had  more  than  one  bad  report,  and  then  he 
was  badgered  by  one  of  the  warders.  I  am  so  thankful  he  is  out 
at  last.  How  like  a  poor  little  mouse  just  liberated  from  a  trap  he 
must  feel.  Please  send  me  a  copy  of  the  book  as  soon  as  it  is  out. 
I  dare  say  I  could  sell  a  few  copies  down  here. 

You  seem  to  be  highly  favoured  at  Hartford  in  haviug  two 
such   shining  lights  (C.   D.   Warner  and  S.   L.  Clemens)   of    the 


474  WATSON'S  LETTER 

literary  world  living  there.     I  should  like  to  meet  Mr.  S.  L.  Cflem- 
ens.     1  always  enjoy  his  quaint,  dry  humor. 

I  inclose  photo  of  myself  and  shall  be  glad  to  have  one  of  you. 
Don't  forget  the  story  of  the  mouse,  the  galvanic  battery  torture, 
the  handcuffs  and  chains.  Above  all,  don't  forget  to  send  me 
a  copy  of  the  book. 

With  kind  regards  and  all  good  wishes,  believe  me, 

Yours  faithfully, 
(The  Reverend)  A.  H.  Ferris. 

The  man  Watson  referred  to  in  the  foregoing  letter  never 
misled  an  opportunity  to  correspond  with  the  beloved  Chaplain 
Ferris,  after  his  retirement  from  the  service.  The  following 
letter,  written  in  1884,  I  am  kindly  permitted  to  publish : 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  received  your  very  kind  and  ever  welcome  letter 
and  was  very  pleased  to  hear  from  you.  I  hope  you  are  quite 
restored  to  health  again,  my  letter  being  lost  and  my  daughter 
being  in  a  hurry  to  answer  the  governor's  inquiry,  forgot  to  men- 
tion in  her  letter  that  you  wrote  a  few  lines  to  me  and  that 
it  was  sent  in  the  letter  that  was  lost.  Therefore,  I  thought  you 
might  perhaps  be  offended  with  me,  but  my  mind  is  at  rest  now 
I  have  heard  from  you.  You  tell  me  not  to  give  up  all  hope  yet, 
but  my  hope  is  almost  dead,  but  still  I  clutch  to  the  least  hope 
whatever.  I  think  sometimes  they  may  perhaps  liberate  me  when 
1  am  old  and  worn  out  and  no  one  will  employ  me,  and  only  fit  to 
go  from  a  prison  to  a  union,  but  they  will  never  do  men  any  good 
by  keeping  them  in  prison  all  the  best  of  their  days,  for  1 
believe  the  longer  they  keep  men  in  prison  the  more  hardhearted 
they  make  them,  for  I  believe  if  men  were  shown  more  mercy  and 
kindness  there  would  not  be  so  many  in  prison  as  there  are  at  the 
present  time.  I  know  you  have  tried  your  utmost  to  get  me  home 
to  my  beloved  children,  and  I  do  most  heartily  thank  you  for  your 
great  kindness  towards  me.  for  it  is  a  great  comfort  to  me  to  know 
that  1  have  one  true  and  kind  friend  in  this  world.  1  must  now  say 
farewell,  and  may  God  bless  you  and  grant  you  a  long  and  happy 
life  in  his  service  in  this  world  and  everlasting  happiness  in  the 
next,  is  the  sincere  prayer  of  your  unhappy  but  ever  faithful  and 
hopeful  friend  Robert  Watson.     Sir,  would  you  please  to  acknowl 


LETTER  FROM  A  LIBERATED  MAN.  475 

edge  the  receipt  of  this  letter  to  my  daughter  with  a  few  hnes  for 
myself  (if  not  giving  too  much  trouble,  for  your  letters  seem  to 
cheer  me  up).     Good  by,  and  God  bless  you. 

Yours  faithfully, 

Robert  Watson. 

As  a  further  evidence  that  the  Rev.  Ferris  was  notably 
the  prisoner's  friend  upon  all  occasions,  I  insert  here  another 
letter  from  one  who  was  a  prisoner  at  Dartmoor,  written 
shortly  after  his  release,  wdiich  also  show^s  conclusively  that 
it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  get  into  prison,  and  afterward 
become  a  useful  member  of  society  and  continue  to  follow  an 
honorable  occupation. 

— ,  Eastcheap, 
LoNDOX,  E.  C,  24th  Feb'ry,  1885. 

Dear  Sir,  —  You  will  best  remember  me  as  William , 

formerly  one  of  your  correspondents  from  Dartmoor,  and  much 
indebted  to  you  for  your  kind  search  and  inquiries  respecting  my 
dear  mother,  who,  upon  my  arrival  in  London  last  December,  I 
found  had  died  only  last  summer,  anxious  to  the  last  to  hear  or  see 
something  of  me,  and  wondering  why  she  had  not  done  so.  Pos- 
sibly you  will  be  able  now  to  recall  the  circumstances  under  which 
you  became  so  interested  on  my  behalf.  .  .  .. 

My  mother  was  in  the  full  possession  of  her  senses,  and  com- 
paratively,  for  her  years,  well  to  the  last.  Had  it  not  been  for  the 
inexcusable  blunder  of  the  authorities  at  Dartmoor  in  giving  me 

the   address  of  the   Rev'd    Mr.  ,  then  residing  at  No.  — , 

Frederick  Crescent,  Clapham  Road,  instead  of  that  of  my  mother, 
at  whose  instance  he  wrote  to  me,  all  would  have  gone  well,  and  I 
should  have  been  in  communication  with  her,  and  she  free  from 
the  doubts  and  misgivings  arising  naturally  from  my  silence.  It  is 
a  most  painful  subject  to  me  to  dwell  upon,  especially  too  as  I 
never  could  account  for  the  silence  with  which  you  treated  my 
letters  for  the  last  few  years,  the  more  so  on  account  of  the 
friendly  interest  you  took  in  me.  It  is  the  remembrance  of  this 
latter  feeling,  that  induces  me  again  to  intrude  on  your  notice. 
I  think  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  how  I  am  progressing,  and  how  I 
am  getting  on,  since  my  return  to  London.     It  has  pleased  God  to 


476  -^  CLERGYMAN'S  HARD  LOT. 

help  in  a  manner  and  to  a  degree  I  could  never  have  expected. 
The  son  of  an  old  friend  has  taken  an  office  in  the  city  for  me, 
furnished  it,  and  is  helping  me  to  establish  myself  as  an  account- 
ant. It  is  hard,  uphill  work  to  secure  a  connexion,  for  all  my  old 
city  friends  are  dead  or  retired,  and  a  new  generation  has  risen  up, 
which  I  know  not.  And  then,  too,  commercial  matters  generally 
are  in  a  stagnant  state,  and  very  little  business  stirring.  However, 
I  have  secured  a  standing  and  a  start,  and  with  industry  and  per- 
severance,  in  addition  to  my  experience,  with  full  trust  in  God, 
I  look  hopefully  to  the  future.  The  circumstance  of  my  having 
assumed  my  mother's  maiden  name  when  the  trouble  fell  upon  me, 
now  stands  me  in  good  stead,  for  no  one  here  in  the  city  knows 
of  my  fall.  Though  technically  my  business  is  that  of  an  account- 
ant, 1  am  open  to  transact  all  kinds  of  Agency  business,  and  1 
shall  be  very  thankful  if  you  can  give  me  any  introductions  to 
Solicitors,  Tradesmen,  or  Commercial  men,  with  a  view  of  my  estab- 
lishing a  connexion.  Further,  a  parcel  of  old  clothes,  linen,  &c., 
which  I  could  get  mended  up,  would  be  very  acceptable,  as  I  have 
not  been  able  to  find  a  rag,  paper,  or  relic  of  any  kind  belonging 
to  my  mother  or  myself.  All  seems  to  have  been  made  away  with. 
Hoping  to  hear  from  you  in  reply,  and  trusting  you  are  in  good 
health.  Believe  me  faithfully  yours. 


The  Rev'd  A.  H.  Ferris, 
Charlestown, 

Cornwall. 

It  will  be  seen  that  one  of  the  writers  of  the  above  letters 
was  in  prison  for  life,  on  the  charge  of  writing  threatening 
letters ;  and  the  other  is  an  educated  man  who  is  striving  to 
redeem  his  character  and  lost  position. 

Their. experience  with  this  clergyman  was  the  same  as  my 
own,  and  it  seems  very  hard  that  one  who  devotes  his  life  to 
works  of  piety  and  charity,  should  have  to  struggle  years 
to  replace  .£150  of  his  small  income,  out  of  which  he  has 
been  swindled. 

Oliver  Goldsmith's  brother  was  "  passing  rich  on  £40  a 
year."  I  suppose  it  is  much  the  same  with  another  country 
parson — the  Rev.  A.  H.  Ferris,  my  benefactor. 


ANOTHER   CHAPLAIN'S  LETTER.  4Y7 

The  following  letter  is  from  the  present  chaplain  at  the 
Dartmoor  convict  establishment,  whose  name  has  been  previ- 
ously mentioned : 

Princetown, 

Easter  Monday, 

1888. 

Dear  Bid  well,  —  I  was  very  glad  to  receive  your  letter  and  to 
hear  so  favourable  an  account  of  3^ou.  Long  may  you  live  to  enjoy 
your  long  lost  liberty.  The  contrast  between  your  life  here  when 
I  knew  you,  and  what  you  are  now  having  must  indeed  make  you 
thankful.  I  don't  think  any  prisoner  I  ever  knew  had  such  a  bad 
time  of  it  as  you  had,  and  the  wonder  to  me  is  that  you  are  alive 
to  tell  the  tale.  I  was  very  glad  when  I  heard  you  were  once 
more  safe  at  home.  Here,  you  see,  I  still  abide  ^-  men  may  come 
and  men  may  go,  but  I  stop  on,  and  make  the  best  of  it ;  although  I 
am  beginning  to  feel  a  little  tired  of  it,  and  the  next  offer  I  get  of  a 
living,  I  think  I  shall  take  it.  You  old  doctor,  Power,  is,  I  believe, 
still  at  Portsmouth  prison,  but  I  seldom  hear  from  him  now.  Thank 
you  for  the  photos  of  yourself  —  what  a  contrast !  They  show 
what  fifteen  years  in  prison  will  do  for  a  man  not  trained  to  the  busi- 
ness. I  have  no  newspaper  cuttings  that  would  interest  you.  The 
only  thing  I  ever  read  was  that  after  you  landed  in  America  you 
were  arrested  on  some  trumpery  charge,  and  that  the  detectives 
themselves.,  got  a  good  wigging  from  the  magistrate  for  their 
interference ! 

I  shall  be  pleased  to  hear  from  you  from  time  to  time,  and  will 

not  keep  you  waiting  so  long  for  an  answer  as  I  have  done  this 

time. 

"With  very  best  wishes. 

Believe  me  to  remain, 

Your  sincere  friend, 

(The  Reverend)  Clifford  Rickards. 

Once  on  a  time  some  prisoner  or  other  cut  his  throat  with 
a  razor,  and  an  order  was  issued  from  the  Home  Office  that 
razors  were  to  be  abolished  in  all  Her  Majesty's  prisons,  since 
which  time  the  warders  and  assistant  warders  have  had  to 
clip  the  hair  and  beard  of  all  convicts  once  a  week.  West- 
lake  placed  a  small  bench  outside  of  the  door  and  ordered  me 


478  SILENCE. 

to  come  out  and  sit  on  it  to  be  clipped  (shaved  with  shears), 
though  he  well  knew  that  at  the  time  I  could  scarcely  hold 
m}' self  in  a  sitting  posture.  But  the  order  was  only  a  pre- 
text for  what  followed.  Two  of  them  came  in,  seized  me  by 
the  ankles,  dragged  me  out,  and  threw  me  on  the  stool,  from 
which  I  fell  heavily.  Four  then  seized  and  held  me  in  the 
manner  shown  in  the  "photographic"  picture,  which  will  be 
found  opposite  page  33,  while  a  fifth  clipped  me.  Of  course, 
my  ears,  nose,  and  mouth  (their  thumbs  being  inserted  into 
my  cheeks)  did  not  have  a  comfortable  time  of  it  for  the  next 
half  hour. 

A  short  time  previous  I  had  been,  by  some  customary 
abuse,  driven  into  a  state  which  made  me  give  Westlake  "  a 
piece  of  my  mind,"  and  for  this  result  of  his  own  acts  he 
brought  me  before  the  governor,  who  gave  me  the  usual  "  three 
days  bread  and  water,"  and  fined  me  eighty-four  remission 
marks.  Of  course  I  could  not  have  been  quite  right  in  my 
mind,  and  this  treatment  made  me  resolve  to  keep  silent,  for 
at  the  moment  I  believed  they  could  have  no  right  to  punish 
me  for  not  talking.  I  therefore  refused  to  speak  or  answer 
any  question,  and  lay  in  sullen  despair  on  the  planks  by  day 
and  on  a  pallet  by  night. 

As  it  became  noised  about  that  I  would  not  speak,  the 
governor  and  others  came  and  vainly  questioned  me,  until,  at 
last,  the  chaplain,  Mr.  Rickards,  came  in,  but  could  not  with 
the  kindest  persuasion  get  me  to  open  my  mouth.  Westlake 
suggested  to  the  assistant  doctor  that  the  battery  would  make 
me  talk  or  scream.  Accordingly,  the  next  day  he  came  in, 
accompanied  by  warders,  and  put  it  on  almost  every  square 
inch  of  my  body,  causing  most  indescribable  torture,  espe- 
cially when  applied  to  the  nerve  centers,  the  eyes,  mouth, 
and  ears.  This  last  was  horrible,  and  while  the  poles  of  the 
battery  were  being  applied  to  my  ears,  it  seemed  to  me 
that  ten  thousand  cannon  were  being  exploded  inside  of  my 
head,  since  which  I  have  had  a  ringing  in  the  left  ear  which 
became  quite  deaf.     When  the  current  was  caused  to  pass 


BACK  TO  THE  HOSPITAL.  479 

through  my  arms  and  legs,  it  would  twist  and  cramp  the 
muscles  until  I  was  in  agony.  After  a  half  hour  of  this 
work  he  gave  it  up,  and  I  then  said  to  him  that  I  had  been 
punished  for  talking,  and  now  he  had  tortured  me  for  keep- 
ing silence.  Of  course  I  was  in  the  wrong,  but  I  did  not  think 
so  then. 

The  master  tailor  who  had  perceived  and  pitied  the  state 
in  which  1  had  been  sent  to  his  shop,  came  in  at  times  to  see 
me,  and  on  the  last  occasion  that  I  saw  the  good  man,  he  said : 
"  My  poor  fellow,  you  must  prepare  for  eternity  ;  you  are  not 
long  for  this  world,"  etc. 

I  replied,  thanking  him  for  his  consideration  and  kindness 
while  I  was  in  the  shop,  and  remarked  that  the  sooner  the  end 
came  the  better  —  that  I  did  not  think  the  Almighty  would 
be  an  unrelenting  judge  against  one  who  had  suffered  so  much 
in  this  life  as  myself.  He  shook  hands  with  me,  and  we 
parted  forever. 

Even  principal  Westlake  became  satisfied  in  his  own  mind 
that  I  would  not  survive ;  therefore,  the  next  morning  (the 
medical  officer.  Dr.  Power,  being  still  absent)  he  brought  in 
the  assistant  doctor  and  said  :  "  This  man  is  very  bad,  sir." 
The  doctor  had  my  shirt  taken  off,  and  after  a  short  exami- 
nation he  ordered  me  to  be  taken  back  to  my  old  ward  in  the 
hospital. 

I  will  conclude  this  chapter  by  giving  an  incident  which 
proves,  that  the  treatment  of  prisoners  by  principal  Westlake 
caused  the  death  of  one  and  the  serious  wounding  of  another. 
Governor  Harris  had  been  transferred  to  Chatham.  Captain 
Avery  had  received  the  appointment  and  was,  at  the  time 
(1881)  of  the  occurrence  I  am  about  to  relate,  the  head  gov- 
ernor. He  was  truly  a  noble-hearted  man,  and,  after  leaving 
the  army,  had  been  deputy  governor  of  the  convict  establish- 
ment at  Gibraltar.  I  have  on  several  occasions  heard  pris- 
oners, who  had  served  a  term  of  penal  servitude  at  that  place, 
relate  incidents  concerning  himself  and  his  benevolent  wife, 
of  which  the  following  is  an  example  : 


480  ANGELIC  MINISTRATIONS. 

A  convict,  who  was  one  of  those  concerned,  said  that  the 
day  before  the  Christmas  holidays  Mrs.  Avery  procured  for 
her  ten-year-old  son  a  loose  coat,  with  a  number  of  large 
pockets,  and  stowing  them  full  of  packages  of  cake,  came  to 
where  his  party  were  at  work.  Of  course  the  warder  in 
charge  would  feel  highly  honored  at  being  noticed  by  the 
governor's  lady,  and  she  skilfully  drew  his  attention  away, 
while  her  little  boy  went  around  and  hid  the  bundles  in  vari- 
ous nooks  and  corners,  the  prisoners  of  course  furtively  watch- 
ing his  erratic  movements.  When  his  pockets  were  emptied 
the  men  found  opportunities  for  possessing  themselves  of 
these  angel's  gifts  —  an  angel's  gifts,  indeed  !  for  in  British 
prisons  there  is  no  change  of  food  at  Christmas-time,  and 
nothing  to  remind  the  imprisoned  wretches  that  Christ  died  as 
much  for  them  as  the  more  fortunate  of  mankind. 

Another  told  me  how,  after  he  had  served  his  time  at  Gib- 
raltar, Governor  Avery  and  lady  came  home  on  the  same  ship, 
and  she  used  to  go  forward  among  those  who  where  about  to 
become  free  men,  exhorting  them  to  be  good  citizens,  and 
shaking  hands  at  parting. 

This  Governor  Avery  had  not  been  long  at  Dartmoor 
before  he  detected  Westlake  in  the  perpetration  of  some 
cruelty,  and  had  him  transferred  to  the  stone  quarry.  Here 
he  made  himself  so  obnoxious  by  his  petty  tyrannies  that 
three  or  four  of  the  men  determined  to  make  an  attempt  to 
escape.  The  plan  was  to  knock  down  Westlake,  and  make  a 
run  for  it  through  the  line  of  the  three  or  four  guards  who 
stood  at  a  considerable  distance  apart.  As  the  quarry  was 
outside  of  the  prison  walls,  the  conspirators  believed  some  of 
them  might  succeed,  each  one,  of  course,  thinking  that  he 
would  be  the  lucky  man. 

This  plan  was  divulged  to  Westlake,  who,  instead  of  taking 
measures  to  prevent  the  attempt,  laid  his  plans  to  kill  the 
ringleaders,  who  were  serving  terms  of  twenty  and  twenty-five 
years  respectively. 

At  the  appointed  time  Westlake  pretended  to  be  off  his 


'iilmSi.«i 


''HE  IS  DEAD."  4gl 

guard,  and  the  ringleader  sprang  towards  him  with  a  drilling- 
bar.  Westlake  whirled  and  ran  out  of  the  quarry,  followed  by 
the  two  ringleaders.  The  men  expected  to  find  the  guards  at 
their  usual  stations,  but  these  were  waiting  near  the  outlet  of 
the  quarry.  The  convicts  then  made  a  rush,  but  had  not  gone 
far  before  both  were  brought  down,  one  shot  in  the  chest,  and 
the  other  in  the  legs.  This  last  was  the  twenty-five-year  man 
who  had  attempted  to  knock  Westlake  down.  As  he  lay 
on  the  ground  Westlake  ordered  one  of  the  guards  to 
shoot  him,  which  he  did,  putting  a  charge  of  shot  into  his 
chest. 

That  is  the  story  as  told  to  me  by  one  who  was  working 
in  the  quarry  at  the  time,  though  I  do  not  vouch  for  it.  At 
any  rate  about  4  p.  M.  of  that  day  a  man  was  carried,  groan- 
ing horribly,  past  my  cell  into  the  adjoining  one,  and  as  the 
partition  was  only  of  sheet-iron,  I  plainly  heard  his  groans. 
After  about  two  minutes  all  became  silent,  and  I  knew  the 
man  must  be  dead,  although  I  knew  nothing  of  what  had 
happened. 

When  he  was  put  in  I  heard  the  iron  door  slammed  and 
locked.  After  he  was  still  I  heard  the  door  opened  and  a 
warder  say :  "  He  is  dead."  The  door  was  again  locked.  In 
a  few  moments  I  heard  the  clatter  of  steps  and  the  cell  door 
opened  again.  Then  I  heard  the  doctor's  voice.  Now  what 
followed  1  have  tried  to  convince  myself  that  I  do  not  remem- 
ber distinctly,  but  it  is  impressed  on  my  mind  that  in  reply  to 
the  doctor's  questions  the  warder  said  that  the  man  had 
been  shot  dead  in  attempting  to  escape  from  the  quarry,  and 
that  his  body  had  been  brought  from  there. 


31 


Chapter  XLIV. 


DR.  SMALLET  —  TRANSFERRED  TO  WOKING  INVALID  PALACE  —  A  GANG  OF  CHAINED 
CONVICTS  AT  PLYMOUTH  STATION  —  A  DELIGHTFUL  JOURNEY  TO  END  IN  A 
LIVING  GRAVE  —  DESCRIPTION  OF  WOKING  PRISON  PALACE  —  MAJOR-GEN.  SIR 
JOSHUA  JEBB  —  DR.  CAMPBELL — GANGS  OF  LIVING  SKELETONS  FROM  CHATHAM 
—  CHATHAM  PRISON  AND  GREAT  BASINS — THE  REVOLT  AT  CHATHAM  —  RE- 
MORSELESS SEVERITY  AGAINST  THE  REVOLTERS  —  NO  INVESTIGATION  AS  TO 
THE   CAUSE  OF   REVOLT  —  SNEAKING  PART   OF  OUR  FOOD    TO    THE    SKELETONS. 

IN  1878  Dr.  Power  exchanged  to  Portsmouth,  as  else- 
where related,  and  was  replaced  by  a  new  medical  officer. 
Dr.  Smalley.  As  Dr.  Power's  treatment  of  the  previous 
eighteen  months  had  done  me  some  good,  Dr.  Smalley 
thought  I  was  well  enough  to  sew  and  to  be  put  on  the 
ordinary  first-class  prison  diet. 

As  Dr.  Smalley  was  a  new  broom,  and  felt  himself  obliged 
to  sweep  out  of  the  Infirmary  all  who  could  crawl  about,  he 
endeavored,  by  the  usual  test-tortures,  to  ascertain  who  were 
really  unable  to  do  so.  Therefore  I  was  subjected  to  electric 
applications  —  or  I  may  better  characterize  them  as  bombard- 
ments —  during  a  period  of  five  or  six  months,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  he  was  satisfied  that  my  debility  was  genuine; 
and  I  believe,  among  all  whom  Dr.  Power  had  left  in  the 
Infirmary,  the  fresh  tests  by  this  new  doctor  did  not  expose  a 
single  case  of  imposition  —  a  remarkable  proof  of  the  former's 
skill  and  medical  judgment. 

I  was  still  kept  in  the  same  Infirmary  cell,  where  Dr. 
Smalley  visited  me  on  his  daily  round.  Some  patching  work 
was  now  brought  to  me  from  the  tailor-shop,  and  I  soon 
became  expert  at  it,  and  as  it  occupied  my  mind  when  there 
was  not  light  enough  to  study,  this  part  of  my  imprisonment 
would  not  have  been  so  unhappy,  had  I  not  been  obliged  to 

(482) 


A  MAY  OF  SUNLIGHT.  483 

live  solely  on  bread,  twenty-four  ounces  per  day,  which  was 
the  only  part  of  the  prison  diet  that  I  could  possibly  digest, 
in  consequence  of  which  I  became  Avorse ;  and  as  the  doctor 
did  not  consider  it  necessary  to  give  me  any  other  food,  I 
lingered  along  in  a  very  weak  state  until  I  was  transferred  to 
Woking  prison. 

During  the  eight  years  I  had  been  at  Dartmoor,  there  had 
been  a  railway  constructed  from  Portsmouth  to  Tavistock. 
In  cold  weather  all  convicts  are  provided  with  an  ulster  for 
their  journey  —  a  merciful  provision,  as  their  ordinary  suit  is 
inadequate.  At  5  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  November  3, 
1881,  I  was  carried  and  placed,  without  fetters,  in  a  large 
omnibus ;  in  a  moment  I  heard  the  clanking  of  chains,  and 
looking  out  saw  a  gang  of  a  dozen  men  chained  together,  as 
shown  in  the  illustration.  These  were  pressed  into  the  omni- 
bus, and  a  half-hour's  drive  brought  us  to  Tavistock  station. 
Here  we  were  transferred  to  the  cars,  and  in  another  half-hour 
were  put  out  on  the  platform  of  the  Plymouth  station  to  wait 
for  the  London  train.  As  we  passed  through  the  concourse 
of  people,  many  of  them  gazed  upon  the  line  of  chained  men 
w^ith  looks  expressive  of  mingled  curiosity,  astonishment,  and 
compassion.  As  we  were  passing  to  the  third-class  compart- 
ment, three  ex-convicts  [see  cut,  "  Convicts  at  Railway  Sta- 
tion "  ]  in  citizen's  clothes,  who  had  just  been  released,  rushed 
forward  and  tried  to  get  the  three  warders  who  were  doing 
escort  duty  to  bring  us  into  the  compartment  where  they  had 
seats,  so  that  they  could  have  a  chat  with  me.  Of  course  this 
was  refused. 

As  I  had  been  kept  in  solitude  for  eight  years,  during 
which  I  had  scarcely  a  glimpse  of  the  sky,  this  first  unob- 
structed view  of  the  country  from  the  car  window  filled  me 
with  delight.  I  gazed  with  rapture  at  the  shifting  panorama 
of  hills,  valleys,  meadows,  herds  of  cattle,  and  at  the  cozy- 
looking  farmsteads  in  the  midst  of  orchards,  beneath  the 
trees  of  which  lay  heaps  of  red-cheeked  apples  waiting  to  be 
eaten.     This  was  a  sight  which  reminded  me  of  Tantalus, 


484 


A  BENEFACTOR. 


only  instead  of  water  there  I  saw  millions  of  apples,  and  not 
one  for  us  yniserahles.  Potatoes  were  the  only  "fruit"  I  had 
seen  through  all  those  years. 

I  was  very  kindly  treated  by  the  warders  on  the  journey 
to  Woking  station,  from  which  we  were  taken  in  an  omnibus 
to  the  so-called  convicts'  palace. 

Woking  convict  establishment  occupies  a  fine  situation 
on  a  hill  two  miles  from  Woking  railway  station,  which  is 
twenty-two  miles  from  London.  This  establishment  consists 
of  a  male  and  female  prison.  They  are  palatial-looking 
structures,  from  the  railway  station  presenting  an  imposing 
appearance,  and  are  the  chief  feature  of  that  part  of  Surrey 
county.     From  the  prison  windows  nothing  can  be  finer  than 

the  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding country 
which  can  be  seen 
for  a  circle  of  ten 
or  fifteen  miles,  in 
all  its  variety  of 
undulating  hills 
and  valleys,  inter- 
spersed with  farm- 
steads, hamlets, 
and  villages. 

The  male  pris- 
on was  planned  by 
Major-General  Sir 
Joshua  Jebb,  one 
of  Her  Majesty's 
most  distinguished 
prison  commission- 
ers. Filled  with 
philanthropic  ideas 
regarding  prisons 
and  prisoners,  in  advance  of  his  time,  he  had  seen  enough  of 
the  terrible  state  in  which  invalid  convicts  were  placed  at  the 


MA  J. -GEN.    SIR   JOSHUA    JEBB. 


THE  DOCTORS  ''ENCOURAGING    WAY.  435 

regular  public  works  prisons,  to  assure  him  of  the  necessity  of 
a  special  institution  where  such  as  were  doubly  unfortunate 
could  be  sent,  and  receive  the  special  attention  and  treatment 
not  to  be  had  otherwise.  If  I  was  not  misinformed,  the 
prison  in  question  cost  between  a  million  and  a  million  and  a 
half  dollars,  and  has  become  famous  as  the  "  Woking  Palace." 
The  carping  of  press  and  public  at  Gen.  Jebb  for  being  instru- 
mental in  the  erection  of  so  fine  a  structure  for  convicts  — 
the  cost  having  exceeded  his  estimate  nearly  one-half  —  finally 
broke  his  heart,  and  he  died  in  1863,  lamented  by  all  his 
acquaintances  and  by  all  the  imprisoned  wretches  in  England. 

When  I  arrived  I  was  put  in  a  cell  of  the  Infirmary,  where 
the  next  forenoon  the  medical  officer,  Doctor  Campbell,  came 
to  examine  into  my  physical  condition.  He  found  that  the 
sinews  of  my  legs  were  so  contracted  that  they  were  very 
crooked,  and  there  was  not  much  but  skin  and  bone  left, 
being  quite  atrophied.  After  that  when  going  his  daily 
morning  round,  the  warder  would  throw  open  my  door  and 
shout  "  Attention,"  the  doctor  glancing  in  as  he  passed,  there 
being  nothing  that  he  could  do  for  me  except  to  order  the 
kind  of  food  my  condition  required,  and,  from  all  I  heard  that 
was  something  not  to  be  expected  from  him,  as  he  in  no  case 
prescribed  but  just  sufficient  of  what  was  required  to  save 
appearances. 

Any  man,  whether  in  the  infirmary  or  prison,  who  made 
application  to  see  the  doctor,  was  usually  greeted  thus: 
"Well  my  man,  what  do  you  want?"  The  "man"  would 
state  his  complaint,  and  request  that  something  should  be 
done  for  him,  on  conclusion  of  which  the  doctor  wound^  up 
the  interview  with  the  clincher,  in  his  high  squeaking  tones : 
"  Well,  my  man,  you  know  you  were  sent  here  to  die,  so  you 
must  not  make  any  trouble,  for  there  is  nothing  I  can  do  for 
you."  This  was  his  stereotyped  reply,  no  matter  what  the 
case  or  the  nature  of  the  disease,  which  had  usually  been 
aggravated  or  brought  on  by  hard  work  with  insufficient  food. 


486 


A  DIETARY  TEST. 


ALMOST  STARVED  IN  JAIL. 

RELEASE    OF    TWO    MEMBERS    OF    THE    HOUSE    OF    COMMONS    FROM   PRISON, 

London,  February  18th. 
R.  Cunninghame  Graham,  Member  of  Parliament  for  Lanark- 
shire, and  John  Burns,  the  Socialist  leader,  who  were  sentenced  to 
six  weeks  imprisonment  each,  were  released  from  the  Pentonville 
prison  to-day.  When  the  men  emerged  they  were  given  an  ova- 
tion. Upon  being  set  at  liberty  both  rushed  to  an  obscure  coffee- 
house and  ate  an  enormous  breakfast.  They  declared  that  they 
were  almost  starved  while  in  prison. 

While  at  Pentonville  prison  I  was  on  the  same  dietary  on 
which  the  Messrs.  Graham  and  Burns  "  were  almost  starved." 

At   the    Penton- 


ville prison  the  labor 
was  all  performed 
in  the  cells,  and  the 
food  was  better  than 
at  Dartmoor,  where 
the  labor  was  mostly 
ditching,  and  other 
work  on  the  bogs. 
Some  parts  of  this 
chapter  will  give  the 
reader  a  faint  idea 
what  it  was  at  Chat- 
ham; though  at  pres- 
ent at  that  and  the 
Wormwood  Scrubs  prisons  brickmaking  is  the  work.  At 
Portland  prison  it  is  stone-cutting  and  quarrying. 

While  in  prison  I  heard  that  Sir  Edmund  du  Cane,  chair- 
men of  the  board  of  prison  commissioners  —  whose  ptt 
scheme  is  the  present  code  for  the  government  of  Her  Maj- 
esty's prisons  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  —  in  order  to 
prove  that  prisoners'  complaints  about  insufficiency  of  food 
had  no  foundation,  conceived  the  idea  of  making  a  party  of 
"navvies"  work  for  a  few  days  on  the  prison  diet.     These 


DRAWING    STONE. 


NOT   UNLIKE   ANDERSONVILLE. 


487 


declared  themselves  quite  satisfied,  and  of  course  no  change 
was  made.  I  do  not  know  under  what  conditions  that  trial 
took  place,  but  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  they  had  the 
full  weight  of  the  best  portions  of  prison  food  —  such  a  day's 
rations  as  the  one  laid  out  in  each  prison  kitchen  every  morn- 
ing by  the  head-cook  for  the  inspection  (and  edification)  of 
the  upper  authorities  and  visitors  during  the  day.  Not  a 
prisoner  except  the  cooks,  but  would  like  to  get  that  ration 
for  his  day's  supply  of  food.  And  in  regard  to  the  navvies : 
Unless  Mr.  du  Cane,  or  some  other  superior  authority,  had 
his  ej^es  constantly  on  them,  those  who  are  aware  of  the  low 
moral  level  and  the  special  characteristics  of  that  class  of  the 
British  population,  will  not  easily  believe  that  they  deprived 
themselves  of  their  beer  and  stronger  stimulants,  or  even  ab- 
stained from  getting  both  food  and  drink  surreptitiously. 

I  have  spoken 
elsewhere  about 
"gangs  of  living 
skeletons,"  reduced 
to  that  condition 
while  at  work  exca- 
vating the  chain  of 
vast  artificial  lakes 
at  Chatham,  as 
shown  in  the  en2:rav- 
ing  further  on. 
There  is  ample  room 
within  these  basins 
to  float  all  the  na- 
vies of  the  world.  During  the  working  hours  sentries 
were  placed  around  the  works  at  frequent  intervals,  and 
their  orders  were  to  shoot  down  any  convicts  who  should 
endeavor  to  escape.  Some  of  these  were  placed  on  raised 
platforms  so  that  they  could  see  over  any  inequalities  of  the 
ground,  rendering  it  extremely  difficult  for  a  convict  to  get 
out  of  sight  of  some  one  of  the  numerous  guards.     In  the  illus- 


A    SENTRY. 


488  OUT-DOOR  LABOR. 

tration,  one  of  the  convicts  is  depicted  working  in  chains  on 
the  wall  of  the  basin.  These  have  been  riveted  on  his  ankles 
for  attempting  to  escape,  or  some  other  serious  act  of  insub- 
ordination. Another  at  the  bellows,  is  growing  his  beard, 
which  is  permitted  for  three  months  before  he  is  to  be  set  at 
liberty. 

This  spot  was,  during  the  wars  with  France,  the  place 
where  French  prisoners  of  war  were  buried,  large  numbers  of 
whom  perished  in  the  virulent  epidemics  which  raged  on 
board  the  old  floating  hulks  in  which  these  unfortunate  vic- 
tims of  kingly  greeds  were  confined. 

From  the  opening  of  Chatham  prison  in  1859,  1,500  to 
2,000  convicts  were  constantly  employed  on  these  basins. 
Fighting  against  the  tides  with  dykes  and  dams,  excavating 
half  immersed  in  mud,  making  millions  of  bricks,  brick-laying, 
stone-cutting,  mason  work,  wheeling  clay  up  narrow  planks, 
are  a  few  of  the  items  constituting  the  daily,  unceasing  round 
of  labors,  which  proved  to  them  that  "  the  way  of  the  trans- 
gressor is  hard."     Incessant  toil  is  the  requirement. 

The  "  crook,"  too  lazy  to  work  when  free,  here  handles  the 
tools  as  deftly  as  he  picked  a  pocket  or  handled  a  "  jimmy." 
The  miscreant  who  committed  the  most  revolting  crime, 
becomes,  in  prison,  by  force  of  discipline,  a  valuable  workman 
in  many  cases,  and  while  thus  beyond  temptation  displaying 
some  of  the  best  attributes  of  manhood.  The  hope  of  earning 
his  "  remission  "  often  makes  him  a  willing  if  not  a  cheerful 
worker. 

In  1859  the  convict  establishment  at  Bermuda  was  broken 
up,  the  transportation  system  abolished,  and  solitary  confine- 
ment recognized  to  be  a  salutary  punishment.  The  "  model 
prison "  at  Pentonville  [see  engraving,  page  402]  was  the 
first  erected  in  Great  Britain,  as  an  experiment  to  carry  out 
that  principle  in  practice.  Soon  the  hulks,  which  had  been 
stationed  at  the  various  government  dock-yards  and  arsenals 
for  the  reception  of  convicts  awaiting  transportation,  became 
disused.     All  authorities  describe  these  as  sinks  of  iniquity, 


TO  RECOVER,  OR  DIE. 


489 


abodes  of  horrors,  where  reigned  the  foulest  abuses.  After 
Millbank  and  Pentonville,  Portland  was  the  first  on  the  new 
system.  Dartmoor  followed,  then  came  Woking,  Chatham, 
Parkhurst,  Brixton,  and  Wormwood  Scrubs. 

Gangs  of  men  were  sent  to  Woking,  who  had  been  em- 
ployed in  excavating  the  great  ship-docks  at  Chatham,  to 
recover  or  die  — often  the  latter —  after  they  had  been  worked 
there  as  long  as  they  could  stand  on  their  feet  for  an  hour. 
When    such  gangs  arrived  they  were  living  skeletons,  and 


A    GANG    IN    BLOUSES    MARCHING    OUT. 

excited  the  commiseration  of  even  the  hardened  warders. 
Some  of  them  informed  me  that  they  had  been  obliged  to 
work  up  to  their  knees  or  middle  in  clay  mud.  I  have  seen 
men  who,  to  escape  the  labor,  have  lost  a  leg  or  arm  by 
putting  it  under  a  railway  truck,  having  been  driven  to 
desperation  by  hunger  and  bad  treatment. 


490 


EXTENSIVE    WORKS  AT  CHATHAM. 


If  such  was  the  state  of  affairs  in  1881,  what  a  den  of 
horrors  must  Chatham  prison  have  been  previous  to  the  famous 
rebellion  of  the  convicts,  in  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1861.  This  occurred  before 
my  advent  in  England.  I  have  succeeded 
in  procuring  two  illustrations  from  photo- 
graphs taken  at  the  time.  In  one  of  the 
cuts  may  be  seen  the  mess-house  where 
the  revolt  began,  and  a  party  of  prisoners 
in  working  blouses  marching  in  double 
file,  which  is  the  custom  at  English  pris- 
ons. This  mess-house  is  situated  on  low, 
swampy  ground,  separated  at  that  time 
from  the  main  land  by  a  small  creek,  the 
place  being  called  St.  Mary's  Island,  and 
containing  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
acres.  Since  1861  a  great  part  of  this  has 
been  excavated  sixty  feet  below  water- 
mark, and  now  forms  a  part  of  the  great 
basins  for  the  use  of  the  British  navy. 
There  was  no  vegetation  save  a  few 
dwarfed  specimens,  rooted  in  the  mud. 

In  March,  1861,  between  three  and  four  hundred  convicts 
were  employed  in  the  construction  of  a  solid  sea-wall  of  stone- 
work around  the, entire  island.  This  wall,  while  improving 
navigation  of  the  River  Medway,  was  intended  to  form  a  por- 
tion of  the  basins  since  constructed  in  connection  with  it. 

On  the  morning  of  the  18th  of  March  the  prisoners  at 
work  here  began  to  show  rebellious  signs  of  discontent.  At 
first  no  particular  attention  was  paid  to  their  conduct,  as  there 
had  been  a  good  deal  of  grumbling  for  a  long  time. 

When  the  men  were  assembled  for  dinner  in  the  large 
room  of  the  mess-house,  they  became  openly  violent,  and  the 
warders,  of  whom  there  were  about  twenty,  were  seriously 
alarmed ;  and  perceiving  that  an  outbreak  was  imminent,  they 
locked  the  doors  on  those  who  were  in  the  mess-room,  some 


A  MONTH  OUT  OF  PRIS 
ON,  SEEKING   WORK. 


THE  REBELLION.  492 

two  hundred,  and  those  who  were  in  the  other  part  of  the 
building  could  not  be  prevented  from  going  out  to  the  bank 
of  the  river.  At  this  juncture  the  men,  seeing  they  had  mat- 
ters for  the  moment  in  their  own  hands,  proceeded  to  a 
general  revolt;  those  who  were  on  the  bank  of  the  river 
throwing  stones  into  it,  while  those  confined  in  the  mess-room 
kept  up  a  continuous  jelling.  There  appeared  to  be  no  ring- 
leaders and  no  concerted  plan  of  action.  The  consciousness 
that  there  was  not  the  slightest  chance  of  ultimate  success 
restrained  them  from  using  their  temporary  advantage  to 
perpetrate  any  act  of  personal  violence,  they  only  giving 
ebullition  to  their  angry  feelings,  in  the  manner  above  de- 
scribed. Had  this  been  otherwise  the  few  warders  would 
have  fared  hard  in  the  midst  of  this  "  brutal,  hooting  crowd." 
Assistance  soon  arriving  from  the  dockyard  just  opposite,  the 
prison  officials  took  prompt  measures  to  squelch  this  up- 
rising ;  the  revolters  were  called  out  one  by  one  and  taken 
across  to  the  dockyard.  Those  who  seemed  to  be  the  insti- 
gators were  now  separated  and  put  in  chains  and  sent  back 
to  the  prison. 

This  convict  prison  will  lodge  1,200  persons.  It  is  built 
of  brick,  the  interior  being  principally  composed  of  iron,  the 
cells  lighted  from  side  windows,  and  the  interior  from 
skylights  and  large  windows  in  the  ends  of  the  corridors. 
There  are  four  tiers  of  cells  opening  from  galleries  running 
along  on  each  side,  as  shown  in  the  illustration.  The  parade 
is  a  large  courtyard  running  the  entire  length  of  the  prison. 

Next  morning  the  men  were  mustered  on  this  parade- 
ground  for  roll-call,  as  usual  before  being  marched  to  their 
work.  Suddenly  they  began  hooting,  howling,  and  throwing 
their  caps  into  the  air,  acting  very  much  as  on  the  previous 
occasion,  but  soon  proceeding  to  greater  lengths,  broke  ranks 
and  rushed  tumultuously  into  the  prison,  breaking  and  destroy- 
ing everything  possible  that  came  in  their  way,  upseting  the 
stoves,  strewing  the  hot  ashes  over  the  stone  slabs,  dismant- 
ling the  warder's  room,  smashing  the  clocks,  tearing  out  the 


492  ^    CHARGE   BY   THE  MILITARY. 

baths  and  gas  piping,  cleared  out  the  apothecary  shop,  and 
pitched  the  medicine  bottles  crashing  about  —  of  course  swal- 
lowing everything  that  smelled  of  spirits,  by  which  many  of 
them  must  have  got  some  queer  doses. 

As  it  was  found  that  the  force  of  warders  could  do  noth- 
ing towards  reducing  the  rioters  to  order,  the  military  were 
called  for  and  marched  promptly  to  the  assistance  of  the 
prison  authorities.  The  warders  had  all  left  the  prison  and 
now  formed  in  a  body  in  front  of  the  main  entrance,  with  the 
soldiers  drawn  up  in  the  rear,  as  shown  in  the  illustration. 
Then  the  great  door  was  thrown  open,  the  warders  with 
truncheons  drawn  marched  in,  the  soldiers  following,  while 
the  bugles  at  the  same  moment  sounded  a  charge. 

Upon  seeing  this  onrush  of  assailants  the  convicts  took  to 
flight,  the  most  of  them  scampering  away  to  their  cells,  those 
who  were  cut  off  from  that  refuge  seeking  shelter  in  any 
nook  and  corner  where  there  appeared  to  be  a  chance  of 
safety.  Those  who  were  overtaken  had  a  hot  time  of  it  — 
some  were  killed,  others  wounded,  and  many  terribly  injured. 

Later,  forty-eight  of  the  ringleaders  were  flogged  with  the 
cat-o'-nine-tails,  one  hundred  and  five  were  chained  together 
and  forced  to  stand  out  in  the  yards  all  day  and  sleep  on  the 
planks  at  night.  However,  on  account  of  their  general  excel- 
lent conduct,  after  a  time  Captain  Powell  ordered  the  chains 
removed  and  the  men  to  return  to  their  cells,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  twenty-five  who  were  made  an  example  of  to  terrify 
the  others.  Many  others  were  deprived  of  the  remission 
marks  for  good  conduct  already  earned,  and  forced  to  serve 
their  full  term. 

In  compiling  the  account  up  to  the  point  of  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  revolt  I  have  omitted  many  of  the  harsh  terms 
applied  to  the  rioters.  It  is  apparent  that  the  matter  for  all 
the  accounts  was  obtained  from  the  prison  authorities,  and  as 
there  are  two  sides  to  all  questions,  the  other  side  has  never 
had  a  hearing.  These  convicts  had  been  worked  month  after 
month  in  winter's  cold  and  summer's  heat,  amidst  slush  and 


THE   SKELETON  GANG.  493 

mud,  or  the  trying  work  of  wheeling  clay  up  narrow  planks, 
and  this  on  an  insufficient  quantity  of  food,  so  that  large 
men  dwindled  away  to  skeletons,  the  ration  being  the  same 
whether  the  prisoner  be  dwarf  or  giant,  and  in  case  the 
dwarfs  are  detected  in  giving  a  six-ounce  loaf  or  any  other  food 
to  the  starving  giants  —  I  mean  men  five  feet  six  and  upward 
—  they  would  soon  find  themselves  doing  penance  on  bread 
and  water  in  a  dark  cell.  They  had  complained  to  the 
proper  authorities,  and  had  time  and  again  been  turned  off 
with  evasive  answers.  Some  had  committed  suicide  rather 
than  drag  out  a  horrid  existence,  finally  to  die  or  to  be  dis- 
charged helpless  into  the  workhouse.  Still  others  through 
sheer  weakness  had  fallen  off  the  planks  while  wheeling 
heavy  barrows  of  clay  up  an  incline,  and  had  been  killed  or 
crippled. 

One  of  the  Chatham  victims  was  in  my  ward  at  Woking, 
and  beside  his  own  first-class  prison  diet,  and  some  food  given 
him  by  other  invalids  who  could  not  eat  it,  I  used  to  give  him 
forty  ounces  of  bread,  which  he  would  devour  at  once.  It 
was  a  regularly  recognized  thing  among  the  invalid  prisoners 
at  Woking,  that  when  a  skeleton  gang  arrived  from  Chatham 
to  "  sneak "  all  the  food  possible  to  them  until  they  had  a 
"  fill  up,"  which  took  a  month  or  two,  many  depriving  them- 
selves for  that  purpose,  for  they  had  been  through  the  same 
course  of  starvation. 

Crime  deserves  punishment ;  but  the  common  instincts  of 
humanity  demand  that  it  should  be  administered  wisely,  and 
with  due  regard  to  the  true  interests  of  both  society  and 
offenders. 


Chapter  XLV. 


PRISON  TORTURES  —  THE  CAT-O'-NINE-TAILS  — FLOGGING  —  THE  BIRCH  —  SQUIRE 
MORRIS  —  HOW  HE  OBTAINED  PROMOTION  —  THE  GALVANIC  BATTERY  —  THE 
STRAIGHT- JACKET  —  "  SCREW  HIM  UP  "  —  UNAUTHORIZED  BRUTALITY  —  HOW 
THEY  FEED  A  MAN  IN  THE  JACKET  —  TWO  BRUTES,  WARDERS  VILE  AND 
JAMES  —  THE  HUMANE  PRINCIPAL  WARDER  FRY  —  CRIPPLED  FOR  LIFE  BY 
THE  JACKET  —  THE    "  CLEANER  "   MACKEY  —  RETRIBUTION   FOR  VILE. 

THE  handle  of  the  cat-o'-nine-tails  varies  in  length  from 
two  to  three  feet,  and  an  inch  and  a  half  or  two  inches 
in  diameter  at  the  butt.  This  is  usually  covered  with  baize 
or  other  suitable  material,  and  ornamented  in  the  center  and 
at  each  end  with  bright  yellow  whip-cord.  On  the  butt-end 
are  impressed  the  royal  arms  and  the  words  "  H.  M.  Prison 
Commissioners "  in  a  circle  of  scroll-work.  The  lashes  are 
arranged  in  a  circle  around  the  top,  and  are  about  three  feet 
and  a  half  in  length.  They  are  about  the  size  of  the  cord 
used  for  carpenter's  chalk-lines,  and  are  whipped  at  the  ends 
with  colored  silk,  to  prevent  them  from  fraying  when  used. 
I  have  talked  with  many  men  who  have  been  flogged,  and  am 
satisfied  that  it  is  an  instrument  of  fearful  torture.  It  always 
cuts  into  the  flesh  so  that  the  cicatrices  never  disappear,  and 
the  doctors  always  look  at  a  prisoner's  back  the  first  thing 
to  see  if  he  has  been  flogged,  in  which  case  they  know  he  is 
not  a  "  first-timer." 

Still,  I  do  not  think  this  instrument  does  so  much  per- 
manent injury  as  the  birch,  with  which  boys  and  those  who 
have  committed  acts  of  a  less  grave  nature  are  flogged,  on 
supposition  that  it  is  a  lighter  punishment.  This,  in  my 
opinion,  is  owing  to  an  utterly  erroneous  conception  of  the 
working  of  these  two  instruments  of  torture.     Even  if  true, 

(494) 


MODES  OF  PUNISHMENT, 


495 


there  is  no  guide  to  their  respective  use,  save  the  will  of  the 
director,  of  whom  one  like  Squire  Morris  would  punish  a  man 
with  the  cat  for  an  offense  that  another  would  consider  amply 
punished  by  what  he  thought  a  lighter  punishment  —  the 
birch,  or  even  bread  and  water. 

The  "  birch  "  is  a  rod  about  six  feet  long,  the  branch  of  a 
birch  tree,  one  to  two  mches  in  diameter  at  the  butt.     The 


THEY   DO   IT    DIFFERENTLY    IN    CHINA. 


manner  of  using  the  cat-o'-nine-tails  is  as  follows :  the 
man  is  stripped  naked  to  the  thighs,  and  then  bound,  hands 
and  feet,  to  the  triangle.  Some  of  the  most  powerful  warders 
are  selected  as  floggers.  One  of  them  now  strips  to  the  shirt, 
the  sleeves  of  which  he  rolls  above  the  elbows.  He  now 
grasps  the  cat  (or  birch,  as  the  case  may  be,)  in  both  hands, 


496  ^^  ^  ^  ^^^^   UNNE  CESSAR  Y  AND  BR  UTAL I  ZING. 

stands  at  a  distance  of  five  or  six  feet,  and  rising  to  his  full 
height,  brings  it  down  on  the  prisoner's  back  with  all  his 
might.  At  the  same  instant  the  principal  warder  shouts  out 
"  One  " ;  at  the  next  blow  he  shouts  "  Two,"  and  so  on  until 
the  three  dozen,  more  or  less,  is  completed.  If  it  is  to  be 
three  dozen,  then  it  is  usual  for  the  first  flogger  to  strike 
eighteen  blows,  then  resign  the  weapon  to  a  second,  w^ho  com- 
pletes the  job,  unless  they  have  a  special  grudge  against  the 
man,  in  which  case  three  fioggers  "  do "  a  dozen  each  —  so 
those  who  were  thus  served  have  informed  me ;  it  is  also  said 
that  the  floggers  sometimes  grasp  the  birch  by  the  thin  in- 
stead of  the  thick  end.  However  this  may  be,  I  never  heard 
a  prisoner  complain  of  tliat. 

There  may  be  brutes  whose  feelings  can  be  touched  in  no 
other  way,  but  it  is  possible  that  former  floggings,  inflicted 
from  boyhood  in  various  reformatories  and  jails,  helped  to 
make  them  what  they  have  become ;  for  there  is  no  doubt  in 
my  mind  but  that  flogging  of  any  description  is  an  unneces- 
sary and  a  brutalizing  punishment.  I  have  heard,  from  an 
authentic  source,  of  cases  in  which  a  single  flogging  with  the 
birch  had  brought  on  incurable  atrophy.  I  refer  especially  to 
the  cases  of  two  big,  hardy,  powerful  seamen  of  the  Royal 
Navy,  named  Fitz  Gibbon  and  Austin,  who  received  a  term  of 
a  few  months  in  a  county  jail.  These  were  aggravated  by 
the  warder  into  a  state  of  mind  which  made  them  threaten 
personal  violence  against  him,  for  which  offense  they  received 
two  dozen  strokes  of  the  birch.  Five  months  later  they 
were  liberated,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  surgeon,  who 
certified  that  they  were  both  suffering  from  atrophy,  without 
the  slightest  hope  of  ultimate  recovery,  and  they  were  accord- 
ingly sent  home  to  their  friends  to  save  the  prison  authorities 
the  expense  of  burying  them. 

Flogging,  and  riveting  irons  on  a  prisoner's  ankles,  mak- 
ing him  drag  about  a  heavy  ball  and  chain,  or  chaining  him 
in  any  manner,  are  the  chief,  but  not  the  sole  means  by 
which  all  hope  and  human  feelings  are  crushed  out. 


_>>^;V 


THE  QUEEN'S  CHAMPION.  49| 

While  I  was  in  the  punishment-ward  of  prison  num]3er 
seven  at  Dartmoor,  there  were  a  number  of  men  flogged. 
The  commissioner  who  visited  Dartmoor  once  a  month  was 
known  as  Squire  Morris.  Many  years  ago,  when  the  Queen 
was  in  danger  from  a  rusty  old  unloaded  pistol  pointed  at 
her  by  a  crazy  fool  named  Edward  Oxford,  Squire  Morris, 
then  a  policeman,  struck  up  his  arm  just  in  time,  and  bravely 
arrested  the  would-be  assassin !  This  occurred  on  the  occa- 
sion of  a  grand  parade,  and  the  knowledge  of  how  promotion 
is  sometimes  obtained  gives  rise  to  the  suspicion  that  Squire 
Morris  might  have  done  as  one  of  great  swimming  notoriety 
did  some  years  since.  He  induced  a  friend  to  jump  over 
London  Bridge,  then  plunged  in  after  him  and  saved  his  life  ! 
This  repeated  at  intervals  made  him  famous.  The  above  is 
the  version  current  among  prisoners,  and  whether  their  expe- 
rience of  defective  humaai  nature  is  at  fault  in  this  instance 
or  not,  the  unfortunate  Edward  Oxford  was  declared  insane 
and  confined  in  the  Royal  Hospital  at  Bethlem,  where  he 
remained  until  1864,  at  which  time  he  was  removed  to  the 
then  new  Broadmoor  Criminal  Lunatic  Asylum  at  Sandhurst, 
Berkshire,  where  he  is  still  confined,  unless  dead. 

However  this  may  have  been.  Squire  Morris  was  rewarded 
with  the  gift  of  an  office  in  the  convict  service,  and  in  the 
usual  course  became  a  commissioner,  or  director,  as  they  are 
called  by  prisoners.  I  have  heard  very  many  prisoners  speak 
of  him  as  a  "  relentless,  cruel  brute,"  etc.  At  all  events, 
during  the  six  months  I  was  in  the  punishment-ward,  I  think 
I  am  correct  in  saying  that  not  a  month  passed  that  he  did 
not  have  men  flogged.  The  morning  after  one  of  his  visits 
the  triangle  was  brought  out  and  four  men  in  succession  were 
flogged  for  making  threats ;  and  it  is  as  well-known  a  charac- 
teristic among  prisoners,  as  outside  the  bars,  that  "  the  barking 
dog  never  bites." 

In  several  places  I  have  made  mention  of  the  tests  and 
torture-tests  employed  by  the  doctors  to  ascertain  whether 
any  case  is  genuine,  or  if  it  is  one  in  which  the  man  is  "  put- 
32 


498  ^^^  BATTERY  TORTURE. 

ting  on  the  balmy."  The  two  most  powerful  agents  used  by 
them  for  this  purpose  are  the  straight-jacket  and  the  battery. 
Most  of  my  readers  have  doubtless  experienced  a  slight  shock 
from  one  of  the  latter.  I  call  a  light  shock  one  during  which 
the  handles  can  be  dropped  by  opening  the  hands,  and  for 
medical  purposes  it  is,  if  I  am  not  in  error,  never  used  above 
that  power ;  but  the  object  for  which  it  is  used  by  prison 
doctors  is  torture.  So  powerful  a  current  is  used  that  the 
handles,  once  grasped,  cannot  be  relinquished,  for  the  muscles 
become  cramped  around  them  as  rigid  as  iron,  doubling  up 
the  arms,  twisting  and  wrenching  at  the  nerves  and  tendons, 
cords  and  muscles,  and  throwing  the  victim  into  an  agony 
of  pain  which  continues  as  long  as  the  doctor  directs.  Except 
in  heart-disease,  there  is  no  permanent  injury  (unless,  as  in 
my  case,  it  is  put  on  the  ears)  attending  the  application  of 
this  most  exquisite  torture,  and  in  this  alone  it  differs  from 
those  of  the  Spanish  Inquisition  of  the  fifteenth  century.  The 
doctors  apply  this  a  half-hour  daily,  until  they  feel  assured 
that  the  man  must  have  been  forced  to  "chuck  it  up"  in 
order  to  escape  the  torture.  It  was  applied  to  me  two  or 
three  hundred  times,  and  when,  each  day,  I  heard  them  com- 
ing with  the  battery,  I  began  to  tremble  despite  myself,  then 
set  my  teeth  to  bear  it,  while  the  agony  caused  the  perspira- 
tion to  start  from  every  pore  of  the  body. 

The  battery  is  bad  enough,  but  at  the  worst  the  pain  is  over 
as  soon  as  it  is  removed ;  but  the  straight-jacket  is  horrible 
when  applied  in  the  way  and  for  the  purpose  it  is  used  in 
prison  by  the  warders,  who,  at  Woking,  under  Governor  Bones, 
required  but  a  light  pretext  to  put  it  on. 

The  ostensible  object  of  a  straight-jacket  is  merely  to  con- 
fine the  hands  and  prevent  the  person  from  injuring  himself 
or  others.  It  is  supposed  by  outsiders  to  be  used  without 
causing  the  wearer  pain  or  other  inconvenience  than  con- 
finement of  the  hands. 

The  prison  straight-jacket  is  made  from  doubled,  heavy. 
No.  1  sail-duck,  quilted   together  with  waxed    shoe-thread; 


TRUE  INWARDNESS  OF  THE  STRAIGHT-JACKET.  499 

the  edges  and  around  the  neck  are  bound  with  leather,  some 
of  them  having  a  large  circular  piece  of  heavy  sole-leather 
sewed  on  the  front,  to  make  it  still  more  stiff  and  unyielding. 
Inside  are  pockets  into  which  the  arms  are  inserted  up  to  the 
shoulders.  These  pockets  are  usually  of  heavy  upper-leather, 
but  some  are  made  of  sole-leather  ;  in  either  case  it  becomes 
hard,  especially  at  the  bottom,  against  which  the  hands  are 
jammed. 

Straight-jackets  are  supposed  by  the  general  public  to  be 
made  large  enough,  so  that  they  may  be  worn  without  painful 
compression  of  the  body ;  also  that  they  are  long  enough  to 
permit  the  arms  being  extended  full  length,  with  the  hands 
open,  and  room  enough  to  move  them  in  the  pockets.  With 
the  exception  of  the  one  they  had  for  shotv,  at  Woking,  of 
single  canvas,  this  is  an  erroneous  supposition,  in  so  far  as  it 
regards  the  several  that  I  saw  in  use  there.  Unless  the  pris- 
oner who  is  ordered  to  be  put  in  a  jacket  has  "  squared  the 
warder" — {.  e.,  curried  favor  with  him  in  some  way,  or  by 
getting  money  from  his  friends  —  one  of  the  jackets  weighing 
from  twenty  to  thirty  pounds  is  selected,  care  being  taken 
that  it  is  too  small  by  six  or  eight  inches  to  come  together 
at  the  back,  and  as  much  too  short  to  let  the  arms  remain 
straight  in  the  pockets.  It  is  fastened  by  five  heavy  straps 
—  one  each  at  the  neck,  across  the  shoulders,  at  the  waist, 
the  bottom  of  the  jacket,  and  the  fifth  is  fastened  in  front  at 
the  bottom  and  passes  beneath,  being  buckled  behind  so  that 
the  jacket  cannot,  even  if  loosely  put  on,  be  pushed  off  over 
the  head.  The  following  is  a  description  of  the  way  in  which 
I  have  repeatedly  seen  this  fearful  instrument  of  torture 
put  on: 

The  two  warders,  assisted  by  their  devotee  and  factotum, 
the  cleaner,  thrust  the  patient's  arms  into  the  leathern  pock- 
ets, then  throw  him  down  prostrate  on  his  side.  The  upper 
strap  is  first  buckled  tight  up  around  the  neck,  so  that  on 
account  of  the  shortness  of  the  jacket  the  arms  are  forced 
to  bend  at  the  elbows  and  the  doubled  fists  pressed  with  great 


600 


''TIME'S  UP!'' 


force  against  the  bottoms  of  the  pockets,  in  which  the  arms 
remain  immovable;  then  one  of  the  heaviest  sits  on  the 
prisoner's  shoulders  to  compress  his  chest,  while  the  others 
pull  up  the  shoulder-strap  until  the  edges  of  the  six-or- 
eight-inches-too-small  jacket  come  together,  at  the  same  time 
giving  him  an  occasional  kick  in  the  stomach  or  rear.  I  have 
seen  three  stout  straps  broken  off  a  jacket  in  hauling  it  tight. 
Next  the  lower  straps  are  drawn  tight,  the  one  which  passes 
between  the  thighs  being  drawn  so  tight  as  to  chafe  into  the 
flesh  within   twenty-four   hours.     It  was  a  standing    order. 


THEY    don't    use    STRAIGHT-JACKETS    IN    PERSIA. 

frequently  violated  by  the  warders  Vile  and  James,  that  the 
jacket  must  be  taken  off  every  morning,  and  left  off  for  the 
space  of  twenty  minutes,  during  which  the  man  in  the  jacket 
was  permitted  to  eat  his  day's  supply  of  twelve  ounces  of 
bread,  and  a  pint  of  milk,  and  he  was  given  the  opportunity 
of  doing  so  unless  the  cleaner  or  the  warders  had  a  grudge 
against  him,  in  which  case  by  the  time  he  had  it  half  eaten 
came  the  cry  :  "  Time's  up  !  On  with  the  jacket !  Screw  him 
up!"  —  and  on  it  went   instanter,  in   some   such   mode   as 


A  HUMANE  OFFICER.  501 

described.  At  noon  he  was  fed  a  half  pound  of  rice-pudding, 
which  was  stuffed  into  his  mouth  by  the  cleaner  with  a 
wooden  spoon,  and  this  as  fast  as  it  could  be  shoveled  in, 
the  man  simply  swallowing  all  he  could,  the  remainder  being 
plastered  over  his  face,  while  the  warders  stood  in  the  door- 
way laughing  at  the  cleaner's  performance.  At  night  a  pint 
of  milk  was  poured  into  his  mouth  —  or  down  the  outside  of 
his  neck  —  twelve  ounces  of  bread,  two  pints  of  milk,  and  a 
rice  pudding  comprising  a  day's  ration. 

I  have  known  many  men  who  have  described  all  I  have 
written  as  practiced  on  themselves,  and  I  have  been  sub- 
jected to  the  worst  of  it  myself  under  Dr.  Braine,  who  is 
known  to  be  a  humane  physician  and  a  gentleman  —  only 
he  depended  on  the  warders,  who  too  frequently  abused  his 
confidence. 

Trussed  up  like  a  Christmas  turkey,  the  chest  compressed 
so  that  breathing  is  impeded,  the  hands,  Avrists,  and  arms 
contorted,  I  have  on  two  occasions  seen  a  man  lie  four  days 
and  nights  in  such  an  agony  of  pain  that  he  never  slept 
one  moment.  The  knuckles,  jammed  hard  against  the  sole- 
leather,  were  soon  denuded  of  the  skin,  inflamed,  and  swol- 
len. Each  day  when  Dr.  Braine  made  his  daily  round,  the 
sufferer  complained,  but  warder  Vile  or  James  told  him 
there  was  nothing  the  matter  with  his  hands,  nor  could  he 
induce  the  doctor  to  have  the  jacket  removed  long  enough  to 
see  the  hands  himself.  This  is  no  proof  that  he  winked  at 
the  torture,  but  many  would  believe  so. 

Principal  warder  Fry  was  in  charge  of  the  extensive 
hospital  department,  and  having  observed  him  for  more 
than  three  years  I  am  satisfied  that  he  may  be  counted 
among  the  considerable  number  of  just,  straightforward,  and, 
I  may  add,  humane  officers  in  the  convict  service.  It  was 
one  among  his  multifarious  duties  to  lock  up  all  the  hospital 
wards  with  his  master-key  at  6  o'clock.  The  man  of  whom 
I  am  speaking,  having  been  in  unbearable  pain  all  day,  would 
appeal  to  Mr.  Fry  not  to  go  away  to  his  own  comfortable  bed 


502  THE  0  WNER  OF  THE  HANDS. 

and  leave  him  in  such  agony,  to  pass  a  sleepless  and  horrible 
night,  but  in  the  name  of  all  he  held  dear  to  loosen  the  neck 
and  shoulder  straps.  Mr.  Fry  seldom  failed  to  comply,  and 
during  the  two  months  this  man  was  trussed  up  day  and 
night,  this  alone  enabled  him  to  obtain  a  little  sleep. 

At  the  end  of  this  two  months  even  Governor  Bones,  the 
pompous  and  cruel,  was  disgusted,  and  one  day  while  going 
his  round  he  looked  at  the  man  as  usual,  and  I  heard  him 
say  to  warder  Vile  : 

"  How  long  has  that  man  been  in  the  jacket  ?  " 

"  Two  months,  sir,"  replied  the  warder. 

"  There  is  such  a  thing  as  overdoing  it,"  said  the  gov- 
ernor, as  he  tramped  away. 

Warder  Yile  reported  this  speech  of  the  governor's  to 
Mr.  Fry,  and  he  to  Dr.  Braine,  who,  in  his  turn,  came  at 
once  and  ordered  the  jacket  to  be  taken  off.  The  man's 
right  hand  was  the  worst,  and  the  skin  had  all  come  off  or 
hung  in  great  rags ;  the  hand  was  closed  and  much  swollen. 
This  the  doctor  took  hold  of,  and,  inserting  his  own  under 
the  patient's  fingers,  he  gave  a  sudden  and  powerful  wrench 
to  open  the  fingers,  but  as  these  had  become  permanently 
crooked  it  could  not  be  done,  the  inflamed  state  of  the  joints 
caused  the  man  a  pang  that  he  remembers  vividly  to  this  day. 
Very  lately,  and  the  last  time  I  saw  that  hand,  it  was  still 
crooked,  and  all  the  joints  permanently  enlarged,  and  the  left 
hand  still  showed  marks  of  the  torture.  [  I  may  as  well 
state  that  those  hands  belong  to  me.]  Permanent  pains  in 
the  shoulder  joints  also  remind  him  of  their  compression  in  a 
Woking  prison  straight-jacket. 

I  believe  that  the  members  of  the  Spanish  Inquisition 
after  torturing  their  victim  for  a  while  let  him  have  a  rest, 
but  once  "  screwed  up  "  in  a  straight-jacket,  there  was  no  get- 
ting away  from  the  pain  as  long  as  it  remained  on,  and  that 
was  usually  as  long  as  the  warders  wished.  Indeed,  I  have 
heard  one  of  them  say  to  Dr.  Braine,  "  I  think  this  man 
better  have  on  a  jacket,"  and  an  order  to  that  effect  would 


DRUNK  AND  DISCHARGED.  503 

be  given.  All  this  is  a  still  further  proof  that  only  men  of  a 
high  moral  order  should  be  employed  as  warders,  but  as  this 
means  higher  pay  for  them  and  less  servility  in  the  presence 
of  their  superiors,  it  will  be  many  years  before  such  a  change 
is  adopted,  it  being  the  present  policy  of  the  British  Govern- 
ment to  get  the  whole  of  the  work  done  by  a  class  of  men  who 
can  live  and  bring  up  families  on  a  pittance,  reserving  all  the 
"  big-pay -and-little-work  "  places  for  themselves,  their  friends, 
and  relatives,  who  have  inherited  the  knowledge  of  "  how  not 
to  do  it,"  and  do  that  to  perfection. 

In  1884,  some  time  after  the  events  described  in  this  chap- 
ter, warder  Yile,  with  three  assistant  warders,  was  sent  to 
escort  a  party  of  prisoners  to  one  of  the  hard-labor  stations, 
and  before  the  end  of  the  journey  they  all  became  more  or 
less  intoxicated  —  not  an  unusual  or  hazardous  occurrence, 
except  in  case  a  knowledge  of  it  reached  the  authorities. 
This  happened,  and  they  were  all  discharged  from  the  service, 
since  which  time  I  have  heard  that  Vile  succeeded  in  getting 
into  a  menial  situation  where  he  can  no  more  knock  about  at 
his  will  and  lord  it  over  convicts. 

The  cleaner  in  the  B  ward  was  a  prisoner  named  Mackey, 
and  I  have  seen  him  beat  a  man  in  the  presence  of  the  two 
warders ;  but  it  is  only  one  of  the  many  instances  in  which 
certain  prisoners  were  permitted  to  tyrannize  over  their  fel- 
lows by  certain  warders.  This  Mackey  was  in  the  habit  of 
taking  out  of  the  can  half  the  milk  and  replacing  it  with 
water ;  of  course  the  milk  was  stolen  for  the  use  of  himself 
and  the  warders. 

No  doubt  when  I  was  sent  out  of  A  ward,  Abbott 
informed  Vile  and  James  that  I  was  a  man  who  would 
complain  to  the  governor,  and  these  accordingly  made  it  hot 
for  me  all  the  time  I  was  under  their  charge,  especially  as  I 
had  complained  to  Dr.  Braine  against  one  of  them  for  beating 
and  kicking  me  shortly  after  I  came  into  their  ward. 


Chapter  XLVI. 


BOOKS  —  PRISON  PETS  —  RAT  PERFORMS  ON  THE  TRAPEZE  —  RAT  JEALOUSY  AND 
RODENT  REASONING  —  AN  INTELLIGENT  MOUSE  —  ITS  BETRAYAL  AND  DEATH 
—  A  BEETLE  THE  SOLE  COMPANION  OF  MY  SOLITUDE  —  TAME  FLIES  —  SETTING 
A  fly's  DISJOINTED  LEG  —  CHAMPION  ENCOUNTERS  BETWEEN  FLIES  —  MY 
MOSQUITO  FRIENDS  —  GENERAL   REMARKS. 

IN  juxtaposition  with  the  chapter  showing  the  worst 
features  of  life  in  a  prison,  I  will  now  present  one  of  an 
opposite  character. 

When  brought  to  the  Infirmary  from  the  punishment- 
ward,  I  was  so  nearly  dead  that  I  could  not  turn  myself  in 
bed,  and  lay  for  eighteen  months  before  I  began  to  rally, 
and  then  very  slowly.  Years  of  suffering  were  imposed 
upon  me,  as  well  as  hundreds  of  other  genuine  invalids, 
because  the  wretch  Phillips  gloried  in  having  successfully 
deceived  the  good  doctor.  Day  after  day,  long,  dreary, 
sleepless  nights,  dragged  along  monotonously  and  slowly  into 
weeks,  months,  and  years,  with  little  to  occupy  the  mind, 
save  to  stare  at  the  blank,  cold  walls,  and  let  the  thoughts 
wander  aimlessly,  or  surge  tumultuously  as  some  picture  of 
the  happy  past  flashed  across  the  mental  vision  and  plunged 
the  writhing  soul  into  an  agony  of  remorse. 

Books  were  served  out  but  once  a  week,  and  most  of  those 
were  of  an  indifferent  character,  or  unsuited  to  my  taste ; 
besides,  the  light  was  bad,  and  to  read  or  study  much  meant 
ruin  to  the  eyesight.  The  plan  of  distribution  of  the  library 
books  was  arranged  according  to  the  usual  official  red-tape 
stupidity,  by  which  the  largest  amount  of  work  is  consumed 
to  produce  the  least  possible  result.  In  case  a  man  wished 
to  have  his  book  exchanged,  on  the  appointed  day  he  must 

(504) 


RATS.  505 

put  it  down  at  his  door  before  he  goes  out  to  his  work.  In 
the  course  of  the  day  a  schoolmaster  comes  around,  followed 
by  a  prisoner  carrying  a  tray  containing  a  number  of  books, 
one  of  which  the  prisoner  picks  up  and  drops  at  the  cell  door, 
and  puts  the  one  returned  in  with  the  others.  The  book  left 
may  be  one  that  the  man  had  a  week  or  a  fortnight  before, 
and  if  he  has  been  long  there  he  is  quite  sure  to  have  had  it 
at  some  previous  time. 

A  real  pleasure  was  derived  from  those  prisoners'  friends, 
the  rats  and  mice.  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  for  what  is  left 
of  my  mind  I  am  indebted  to  those  animals,  which  I  easily 
tamed,  and  taught  to  be  my  companions. 

Not  long  after  my  arrival  at  Dartmoor,  a  prisoner  gave 
me  a  young  rat  which  became  the  solace  of  an  otherwise 
miserable  existence.  Nothing  could  be  cleaner  in  its  habits, 
or  more  affectionate  in  disposition,  than  this  pet  member  of  a 
despised  race  of  rodents.  It  passed  all  its  leisure  time  in 
preening  its  fur,  and  after  eating  always  most  scrupulously 
cleaned  its  hands  and  face.  It  was  easily  taught,  and  in 
course  of  time  it  could  perform  many  surprising  feats.  I 
made  a  small  trapeze,  the  bar  being  a  slate-pencil  about  four 
inches  long,  which  was  wound  with  yarn,  and  hung  from 
strings  of  the  same ;  and  on  this  the  rat  would  perform  like 
an  acrobat,  appearing  to  enjoy  the  exercise  as  much  as  the 
performance  always  delighted  me.  I  made  a  long  cord  out  of 
yarn,  on  which  it  would  climb  exactly  in  the  manner  in  which 
a  sailor  shins  up  a  rope ;  and  when  the  cord  was  stretched 
horizontally,  it  would  let  its  body  sway  under  and  travel 
alons:  the  cord,  clinsrinor  bv  its  hands  and  feet  like  a  human 
performer. 

A  rat's  natural  position  when  eating  a  piece  of  bread  is  to 
sit  on  its  haunches,  but  I  had  trained  this  rat  to  stand  upright 
on  his  feet,  with  his  head  up  like  a  soldier.  Placing  him 
in  front  of  me  on  the  bed,  I  would  hand  him  a  piece  of 
bread,  which  he  would  hold  up  to  his  mouth  with  his  hands 
while  standing  erect.     Keeping  one  sharp  eye  on  me  and  the 


506 


LEARNING  THE  ROPES. 


other  on  his  food,  the  moment  he  noticed  that  I  was  not  look- 
ing at  him  he  would  gradually  settle  down  upon  his  haunches. 
When  my  eyes  turned  on  him  he  would  instantly  straighten 
himself  up  like  a  school-boy  caught  in  some  mischief.  He 
always  showed  great  jealousy  of  my  tame  mice,  and  I  had  to 
be  very  careful  not  to  let  him  get  a  chance  to  "  go  for  "  one. 
On  one  occasion  I  was  training  one  of  the  mice,  and  did  not 
notice  that  the  rat  was  near.  Suddenly,  like  a  flash,  he 
leaped  nearly  two  feet,  seizing  the  mouse  by  the  neck  pre- 
cisely as  a  tiger  seizes  its  prey.  Although  I  instantly  snatched 
him  away,  it  was  too  late,  the  one  fierce  bite  having  severed 
the  jugular. 

I  also  made  a  good  many  experiments  to  test  my  rat's 
reasoning  powers,  one  of  which  I  will  describe,  referring  to 

the  accompanying  diagram, 
which  represents  two  up- 
rights with  the  cords  «,  5,  <?, 
running  back  and  forth  be- 
tween them.  Placing  the 
rat  on  the  cord  at  ^,  he  went 
like  a  sailor  to  the  point  5, 
then  started  toward  the  point 
e,  but  had  not  proceeded  far 
before  he  appeared  to  realize  that  the  cord  he  was  on  did  not 
lead  directly  to  the  floor.  He  now  returned  to  the  point  6, 
resting  himself  upon  the  cross-piece.  From  that  favorable 
position  he  "  considered  the  matter,"  and  then  took  the  cord 
that  led  directly  to  the  floor. 

I  have  mentioned  mice,  and  indeed  they  were  most  inter- 
esting pets,  easily  trained,  and  as  scrupulously  clean  and  neat 
as  any  creature  of  a  higher  race  could  be.  I  at  times  had  a 
half  dozen  of  them,  which  I  had  caught  in  the  following 
simple  way :  I  first  stuck  a  small  bit  of  bread  on  the  inside 
of  my  pint  tin  cup,  about  half  way  down;  then  turning  it 
bottom  up  on  the  floor,  I  raised  one  edge  just  high  enough  so 
that  a  mouse  could  enter,  and  let  the  edge  of  the  cup  rest  on 


PLAY IX G  'POSSUM.  507 

a  splinter.  It  would  not  be  long  before  one  would  enter,  and 
as  it  could  not  reach  the  bread  otherwise,  it  stood  up,  putting 
its  hands  against  the  sides  of  the  cup,  thus  overbalancing  it, 
causing  the  cup  to  drop,  and  simple  mousie  would  find  itself 
also  a  prisoner. 

Although  there  was  an  order  that  no  prisoner  should  be 
permitted  to  have  any  kind  of  pets,  especially  rats  and  mice, 
and  as  the  prison  swarmed  with  these,  the  warders  had 
become  tired  of  being  obliged  to  "  turn  over "  the  cells  and 
prisoners  daily  in  search  of  these  contraband  favorites,  the 
loss  of  which  generally  provoked  the  owners  to  insubordi- 
nation ;  in  consequence  of  which  there  was  a  tacit  understand- 
ing that  they  were  not  to  be  interfered  with,  provided  they 
were  kept  out  of  sight  when  the  governor  made  his  rounds. 

Nothing  could  overcome  the  jealousy  of  my  otherwise 
gentle  rat  when  he  saw  me  petting  a  mouse ;  and  he  would 
watch  for  an  opportunity  to  spring  upon  his  diminutive  rival 
and  put  a  speedy  end  to  his  career. 

I  had  one  mouse  which  to  his  other  accomplishments 
added  the  following :  he  would  lie  in  the  palm  of  my  open 
hand,  with  his  four  legs  up  in  the  air,  pretending  to  be  dead, 
only  the  little  creature  kept  his  bright  eyes  wide  open,  fixed 
on  my  face.  As  soon  as  I  said  "  Come  to  life  ! "  he  would 
spring  up,  rush  along  my  arm  and  disappear  into  my  bosom 
like  a  flash. 

Some  years  later  (about  1883)  at  Woking  prison,  I  had 
a  mouse  trained  the  same  as  the  one  above  described,  and 
was  in  dread  lest  warder  Abbot  should  see  and  destroy  it. 
Therefore,  in  the  hope  of  getting  a  guarantee  for  its  safety, 
one  day  when  the  medical  officer.  Dr.  Braine,  on  his  round 
came  into  my  cell  with  his  retinue,  I  put  my  mouse 
through  the  "  dead  dog  "  performance.  The  little  fellow  lay 
exposed  in  my  hand  with  one  of  his  twinkling  eyes  fixed  on 
me,  and  the  other  on  these  strangers.  Such  was  his  confi- 
dence in  me  that  he  went  through  the  performance  perfectly, 
and  when  I  gave  the  signal  in  an  instant  he  was  in  my  (as 


508  ANOTHER  VICTIM. 

the  poor  thing  believed)  protecting  bosom.  The  doctors 
laughed,  and  the  retinue  of  course  followed  suit  —  if  they  had 
frowned  the  latter  would  have  done  likevfise.  The  doctors  ap- 
peared so  pleased  that  I  felt  certain  they  would  order  the 
warder,  as  was  in  their  power,  to  let  me  keep  my  harm- 
less pet,  the  sole  companion  of  my  solitude  and  misery, 
unmolested. 

They  went  outside  the  cell  and  lingered ;  in  a  moment 
Abbot,  the  warder,  came  in,  and  after  a  struggle  got  the 
mouse  out  of  my  bosom  and  put  his  heel  upon  it.  I  am  not 
ashamed  to  confess  that  I  cried  over  the  loss  of  this  poor 
little  victim  of  over-confidence  in  human  beings. 

At  the  same  prison,  where  I  remained  from  November  3, 
1881,  until  my  release  in  July,  1887,  I  once  procured  a  beetle 
with  red  stripes  across  his  wing-sheaths,  and  trained  him  to 
show  some  degree  of  intelligence.  This  was  for  months  the 
sole  companion  of  my  helpless  solitude,  but  it  was  at  last  dis- 
covered in  my  possession  and  taken  away. 

At  another  time,  when  I  was  for  more  than  a  year  without 
any  means  of  occupying  my  mind,  I  made  friends  with  the 
flies,  and  found  that  they  displayed  no  small  degree  of  intelli- 
gence. I  soon  had  a  dozen  tamed,  and  in  the  course  of  my  long 
observations  I  discovered,  among  other  things,  that  the  males 
were  very  tyrannical  over  the  fair  sex,  and  tried  to  prevent 
them  from  getting  any  of  the  food.  In  the  summer  morn- 
ings at  daylight  they  would  gather  on  the  wall  next  my  bed 
and  wait  patiently  until  I  had  washed,  sat  up  in  bed,  and 
finished  breakfast ;  then  I  placed  a  little  chewed  bread  on  the 
back  of  my  hand,  when  instantly  there  was  a  rush,  and  the 
first  one  who  got  possession,  if  a  male,  tried  to  prevent  the 
rest  from  alighting,  and  would  dart  at  the  nearest,  chasing 
it  in  zig-zags  far  away.  In  the  meantime  another  would 
have  attained  possession,  and  he  "  went  for  "  the  next  comer, 
and  for  a  long  time  there  would  be  a  succession  of  fierce 
encounters,  until  at  last  all  had  made  good  their  footing  and 
feasted  harmoniously ;  for  as  fast  as  one  succeeded  in  alighting 


LITTLE  FRIENDS.  509 

it  was  let  alone.  Sometimes  a  male  would  take  possession  of 
my  forehead,  and,  in  case  I  left  him  unmolested,  he  would 
keep  off  all  intruders  on  what  he  evidently  considered  his 
domain,  by  darting  at  them  in  a  ferocious  manner.  On  one 
occasion  I  noticed  a  fly  that  had  one  of  his  hind  legs  turned 
up,  apparently  out  of  joint.  At  it  was  feeding  on  my  hand  1 
tried  to  put  my  finger  on  the  leg  to  press  it  down.  During 
three  or  four  such  attempts  he  moved  away,  after  which  he 
appeared  to  recognize  my  kind  intention  and  stood  perfectly 
still  while  I  pressed  on  the  leg.  It  may  be  unnecessary  to 
add  that  I  failed  in  performing  a  successful  surgical 
operation. 

As  the  winter  approached  the  flies  began  to  lose  their  legs 
and  wings ;  those  that  lost  their  wings  would  walk  along  the 
wall  until  they  came  to  the  usual  waiting  spot,  and  as  soon  as 
I  put  a  finger  against  the  wall  the  maimed  creature  would 
crawl  to  the  usual  place  on  my  hand  for  breakfast.  Indeed, 
the  long  years  of  solitude  had  produced  in  me  such  an  unut- 
terable longing  for  the  companionship  of  something  which 
had  life,  that  I  never  destroyed  any  kind  of  insect  which 
found  its  way  into  my  cell — even  when  mosquitoes  lit  on 
my  face  I  always  let  them  have  their  fill  undisturbed,  and 
felt  well  repaid  by  getting  a  glimpse  of  them  as  they  flew, 
and  with  the  music  of  their  buzzing. 

There  appears  to  be  a  preponderating  opinion  that  the 
lives  of  prisoners  must  be  made  as  wretched  as  possible  while 
in  prison,  and  the  more  degrading  and  terrible  the  punish- 
ments inflicted  on  them  in  English  prisons,  the  more  spon- 
taneous the  verdict,  "•  Served  him  right."  The  great  body  of 
"  revolvers,"  or  convicts  who  return  again  and  again,  began 
their  criminal  career  in  reformatories  and  jails.  The  very 
first  time  they  are  locked  behind  the  bars  is  the  only  time  in 
their  lives  when  they  feel  keenly  the  degradation  of  their 
condition.  Ever  after  they  have  lost  all  sense  that  any 
stigma  attaches  to  imprisonment ;  for  they  see  so  many  others 
there  of  all  classes  of  society,  at  the  same  time  practicing  the 


510  PRIVILEGES   WHICH  OUGHT  TO  BE  GRANTED. 

thieves'  code  of  morals :  That  every  man  is  dishonest,  but 
that  the  mass  of  every  community  keep  within  the  limits  of 
the  law,  many  of  them  because  they  lack  the  courage  to  brave 
it,  as  do  thieves.  Therefore,  when  they  get  into  prison,  they 
regard  it  not  as  a  degradation,  but  solely  as  a  misfortune. 

From  the  first  hour  that  any  man  spends  in  prison,  to  the 
last,  if  he  is  subjected  to  degrading  punishments  like  those 
described  in  the  previous  chapter,  he  becomes  more  obdurate 
and  farther  removed  from  the  possibility/  of  reformation. 
What  the  prisoner  feels  most  is  his  loss  of  liberty.  When 
once  the  ponderous  gates  close  behind  him,  and  he  feels  him- 
self cut  off  from  participation  in  all  that  is  going  on  in  the 
world — its  pleasures  and  associations — the  iron  enters  his  soul 
and  rusts  its  way  deeper  and  deeper.  Now  if  this  man  is 
to  be  acted  oh  for  good  it  must  be  by  doing  him  good.  Give 
him  every  privilege  consistent  with  his  safe  keeping,  and  if 
occasion  arises  that  there  is  a  real  necessity  for  punishing 
him,  let  it  be  by  the  temporary  loss  of  some  of  those  privi- 
leges. When  educated  men  —  I  mean  gentlemen  —  of  a  high 
moral  standard  are  appointed  as  warders,  with  adequate  pay 
befitting  the  great  responsibility  of  their  positions,  such  de- 
privations will,  in  my  humble  opinion,  be  found  amply  suf- 
ficient to  keep  up  the  required  discipline.  Among  these 
privileges  small  animals  should  be  allowed  the  prisoners,  to 
be  kept  in  cages  while  the  men  are  absent  from  their  cells 
at  work  or  otherwise,  of  course  under  proper  regulations. 
On  the  expiration  of  the  prisoner's  term  of  servitude  he 
should  be  permitted  to  take  his  cage  of  pets  with  him  to 
keep  as  a  reminder  that  the  wages  of  wrong-doing  is  suf- 
fering in  some  form.  The  domestic  influence  of  such  pets 
would  be  likely  to  prove  a  restraint,  and  do  much  to  pre- 
vent their  owner's  relapse  into  crime. 

Certainly,  prisoners  should  be  allowed  every  means  of 
mental  and  physical  improvement.  The  English  prison  edu- 
cational system,  as  it  came  under  my  notice,  which  gives  but 
a  single  hour  in  a  week  to  the  school,  is  simply  a  farce. 


Chapter  XLVII. 


DOCTOR  CAMPBELL  RETIRES  —  REMARKS    ABOUT  WARDERS  —  DOCTOR  VON  MARTIN 

—  A  FOUR-BEDDED  DORMITORY — ELECTRIC  SHOCKS  "RESTORE"  BEDRIDDEN 
CRIPPLES  —  STRANGE  CHARACTERS  —  A  CADGER  AND  A  PICKPOCKET  —  SELWIN'S 
STORY — whopper's  LIFE  —  AN  HONORABLE  PICKPOCKET  —  LOCOMOTOR  ATAXY" 

—  A    pickpocket's    sons  —  EX-SOLICITOR    D MORALIZING  —  A    LITTLE 

LIGHT  FOLLOWED  BY  DEEPER  GLOOM  —  DOCTOR  BRAINE'S  IDEA  —ABBOT'S 
BRUTALITY  —  GOVERNOR  BONES  AGAIN  —  UNDER  HIM  WOKING  BECOMES  A  DEN 
OF  HORRORS  —  HE  IS  SUPERSEDED  —  A  RESTORATION  UNDER  DOCTOR  VANE 
C.  CLARKE — PENNOCK,  THE  EPILEPTIC  —  THIRTY-FOUR  YEARS  IN  PRISON  —  HIS 
SAD  STORY  —  A  PROMISE  YET  UNFULFILLED. 

THE  two  preceding  chapters  will  enable  the  reader  to 
understand  more  clearly  much  of  what  follows. 

As  usual,  I  remained  day  and  night  in  the  solitude  of  my 
cell  until  the  medical  officer,  Dr.  Campbell,  resigned  from  the 
service  and  retired  to  private  life  with  a  pension  and  the 
inexpressible  hatred  and  contempt  of  all  prisoners  who  ever 
had  the  misfortune  to  come  under  his  treatment. 

He  had  been  a  medical  officer  for  more  than  thirty  years. 
The  doctors  in  the  prison  service,  as  a  rule,  are  kind  and 
just  to  prisoners.  Under  the  system  of  employing  a  cheap 
class  of  men  for  warders,  the  brutal  element  would  have  a 
still  greater  ascendency  than  at  present,  the  prisons  would 
become  slaughter-houses,  notwithstanding  the  rules  laid  down 
for  their  guidance,  and  the  higher  authorities  would  be  kept 
in  still  greater  ignorance  regarding  most  of  the  brutalities 
perpetrated,  were  it  not  for  the  doctors. 

In  my  animadversions  concerning  the  warders,  so  far  as  I 
am  conscious  of  it,  I  am  actuated  only  by  the  desire  to  let  the 
truth  be  known.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  some  who 
were  brutal  in  their  treatment  of    others,  were  personallv 

(511) 


512  ^  CRIPPLED  QUARTET. 

kind  to  me,  I  do  not  on  that  account  paint  them  as  excep- 
tional angels ;  and  I  trust  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when 
the  necessity  of  employing  a  higher  class  of  men  in  that 
capacity  will  be  recognized,  and  changes  for  the  better  made. 

After  Dr.  Campbell  left,  the  assistant  doctor.  Yon  ^Martin, 
took  charge  pending  the  appointment  of  another  medical 
officer,  which  did  not  take  place  until  a  year  later.  During 
this  interval  he  always  treated  me  with  the  utmost  personal 
kindness.  Believing  that  eight  years  in  the  solitude  of  a  cell 
was  quite  sufficient,  he  had  me  located  in  a  small,  four-bedded 
dormitory  on  the  ground  floor,  with  three  other  cripples. 
Here  we  were  comfortable  as  long  as  the  warm  weather 
lasted ;  but  as  this  dormitory  had  an  air  space  of  four  inches 
under  the  door  —  for  the  closing  of  which  there  had  been  no 
provision  made  —  also  a  large  transom-window,  which  was 
always  open,  it  was  a  cold  place  for  the  winter  quarters  of 
invalids.  When  it  became  unbearably  cold,  one  of  us  would 
place  our  pillows  or  a  blanket  to  stop  the  opening  below,  and 
with  a  cane  close  the  transom ;  but  as  soon  as  the  warder. 
Abbot,  noticed  this  (not  feeling  the  cold  through  his  heavy 
overcoat)  he  at  once  opened  both,  besides  taking  pains  to 
keep  the  outer  door,  just  opposite,  wide  open,  so  that  the 
temperature  was  about  the  same  as  it  was  in  the  open  air. 

After  enduring  this  as  long  as  possible  I  explained  the 
matter  to  Dr.  Yon  Martin,  who  had  us  removed  to  warm 
cells  on  the  floor  above,  but  of  course  I  was  again  in  soli- 
tude. I  was  in  the  dormitory  more  than  six  months,  with 
three  men  as  unlike  in  character,  natural  traits,  and  ante- 
cedents as  it  would  be  possible  to  bring  together. 

One  of  these  was  the  son  of  respectable  parents,  who  lived 
and  died  within  eight  miles  of  Woking  prison,  where  their 
son  Selwin  was  now  on  the  last  half  of  a  term  of  ten 
years  for  stealing  some  linen  from  a  clothes-line,  his  first 
term  having  been  for  five  years.  He  was  a  very  small  man, 
and  had  been  an  unruly  small  boy,  and  it  was  this  circum- 
stance which  attracted  the  attention  of  a  tramping  chimney- 


PRISON  MATHEMATTCS. 


513 


sweep,  who  excited  his  imagination  to  such  an  extent  with 
the  wonders  to  be  seen  in  the  great  world,  that  he  ran  away 
in  his  company,  and  adopted  the  profession  of  "  climbing- 
boy,"  as  young  sweeps  are  designated  in  England.  He  had 
gradually  fallen  into  "  cadging  "  ways,  and  for  twenty  years 
had  been  an  inveterate  cadger,  tramp,  and  vagabond.  He 
had  served  more  than  fifty  short  terms  of 
imprisonment  in  the  county  jails  of  every 
shire  in  England  before  incurring  penal 
servitude.  During  the  whole  time  I  was 
in  the  dormitory  he  would  go  on  for  hours 
relating  his  adventures,  telling  not  too  re- 
fined stories  to  the  man  in  the  opposite 
bed  —  a  fair  example  of  the  mutually  de- 
basing influence  of  prison  association. 

Now  for  the  astonishing  side  of  this 
man  Selwin's  character.  During  all  his 
imprisonments  he  had  studied  a  great  deal, 
especially  figures,  till  he  had  become  a  fair 
arithmetician,  and  in  algebra  he  had  no 
difficulty  with  quadratics.  A  stranger  con- 
versing with  him,  who  knew  nothing  of  his 
antecedents,  would  have  no  reason  to  sus- 
pect that  he  was  other  than  a  respectable? 
fairly-educated  man. 

This  man  had  claimed  to  be  incapable  of  walking,  having 
lain  in  bed  for  two  or  three  years ;  but  Dr.  Yon  Martin  put 
the  battery  on  him  until  he  promised  to  try  crutches,  on  which 
he  just  managed  to  shuffle  along  in  a  queer  way  and  unlike 
any  genuine  cripple  I  had  ever  seen  —  although  I  do  not  think 
he  was  an  out  and  out  impostor,  but  only  an  individual  ex- 
ample of  the  many  invalid  prisoners  who  fail  to  get  anything 
done  for  themselves  unless  they  pretend  to '  be  much  worse 
than  they  actually  are.  Of  course,  in  such  cases  disease  or 
ailment  is  not  readily  apparent,  and  causes  great  perplexity 
to  the  doctors.  Selwin  was  forty  years  of  age,  twenty-five  of 
which  he  had  passed  in  durance. 
33 


THE   CADGER. 


514  ^^  HONORABLE  THIEF. 

Another  character  in  the  dormitory,  who  was  serving  a 
term  of  seven  years,  having  served  one  of  five  previously, 
out  of  respect  for  his  children,  1  will  designate  by  his  "  flash  " 
name,  "  Whopper." 

He  was  born  in  London,  his  parents  being  trades-people,  who 
permitted  him  to  roam  the  streets,  and  as  often  as  he  could 
obtain  the  required  funds  he  visited  the  "  penny-gaff "  (two- 
cents-admission  theater),  and  other  places  where  London 
children  are  corrupted.  Whopper  at  an  early  age  became 
very  expert  at  picking  pockets,  and  at  sixteen  he  had  become 
very  proud  of  the  peculiar  reputation  acquired  in  that  "  busi- 
ness." He  had  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  smartest  crooks 
in  London,  and  at  forty  years  of  age  had  for  many  years  been 
known  by  the  above  sobriquet,  on  account  of  the  "whopping" 
amount  of  money  he  obtained,  and  the  skill  and  boldness  in 
pocket-picking  which  he  displayed.  His  plan  was  to  dress 
like  a  gentleman — he  being  a  handsome  fellow  —  and  by 
some  stratagem  get  admission  as  a  guest  at  aristocratic 
weddings.  As  soon  as  he  saw  any  signs  of  commotion  he 
departed  with  his  booty. 

I  am  now  about  to  make  a  statement  that  may  appear  a 
strange  one  to  some  readers.  It  is  that  this  pickpocket  — 
this  jail  and  prison-bird  —  iva%  a  man  of  honor.  He  had 
adopted  crime  as  a  profession,  and  was  as  proud  of  it  as  any 
honest  tradesman  is  of  his  own  occupation.  Outside  of  that 
he  was  perfectly  reliable,  his  advice  being  sought  by  those  in 
his  own  line,  who  placed  unbounded  confidence  in  his  honesty. 
He  was  very  particular  to  conceal  his  mode  of  life  from  his 
family,  to  whom  he  was  a  kind  husband  and  father,  having 
taught  his  children  to  be  scrupulously  honest ;  and  they  are 
to-day  respectable  and  thriving  tradesmen  in  London.  They 
never  discovered,  until  after  I  became  acquainted  with  him, 
that  their  father  had  been  engaged  in  any  dishonorable  busi- 
ness, or  had  been  in  jail  and  prison.  One  day  he  received  a 
letter  from  one  of  his  sons,  who  had  in  some  way  ascertained 
his  whereabouts.     Whopper  showed  the  letter  to  me,  and  in 


UNCERTAIN  WALKING. 


515 


it  the  son  wrote  that  he  was  sure  of  the  falsity  of  the  charge 
against  his  father,  and  that  in  any  case  he  would  make  appli- 
cation for  leave  to  hring  him  home. 

At  the  time  of  his  first  five  years'  penal  servitude,  his 
wife  had  deserted  him  and  her  children  for  another  man,  and 
after  his  release  he  had  paid  for  their  board  in  a  respectable 
family.  He  remarked  that  for  his  children  he  felt  that  it 
was  a  question  of  school  and  a  trade,  or  jail.     He  had  served 


.^%^ 


¥i^^^-^^M*^^' 


SCnOOL    AND    A    TRADE,   OR    JAIL. 

his  first  term  at  working  in  the  mud  at  Chatham,  as  described 
elsewhere,  until  he  had  been  stricken  down  by  locomotor 
ataxy^  or  inability  to  guide  his  legs  unless  he  was  looking 
at  them.  If  he  had  hold  of  another  man's  arm  and  looked  at 
his  feet,  he  could  walk  very  well ;  but  if  he  turned  his  eyes 
away,  and  then  attempted  to  walk,  he  had  no  idea  of  the 
direction  in  which  his  legs  were  moving,  and  they  would 
sprawl  about  loose  like  those  of  a  jumping-jack.     He  com- 


516  A  "CROOK"  ON  WHEELS. 

pleted  his  first  term  in  1876,  and  was  discharged  a  helpless, 
incurable  cripple,  and  of  course  had  to  abandon  the  profession 
of  pocket-picking. 

He  then  became  a  middle-man  or  agent  between  thieves 
and  the  receivers  of  stolen  goods,  sometimes  purchasing 
stolen  watches,  jewelry,  and  diamonds  on  his  own  account, 
and  disposing  of  them,  after  changing  the  numbers  of  the 
watches,  melting  the  gold  settings,  etc.,  so  that  the  property 
could  not  be  identified  by  the  legal  owners.  His  reputation 
for  probity,  skill,  and  promptitude  in  negotiating  stolen  goods 
was  so  great  among  the  London  "  crooks,"  that  he  soon  had 
all  the  work  of  that  kind  he  wanted.  While  engaged  in  this 
business,  he  had  himself  wheeled  about  in  a  sedan-chair, 
employing  a  man  to  push  it  and  assist  him  generally. 

Whopper  was  rather  polished  in  his  manners,  of  pleasing 
address,  and  I  never  heard  him  relate  any  of  the  vile  tales  or 
make  use  of  the  filthy  language  usual  among  English  pris- 
oners, and  too  frequently  heard  from  the  mouths  of  warders 
in  their  conversations  with  them.  He  was  a  natural  actor, 
and  afforded  us  in  the  dormitory  no  end  of  amusement,  some 
of  his  comic  recitations,  as  he  reclined  in  bed,  causing  convul- 
sions of  laughter.  Altogether,  I  take  him  to  be  the  most 
contradictory  and  remarkable  character  I  ever  met,  and  one 
more  example  of  the  ruin  w^hich  awaits  all  who  once  enter 
into  a  career  of  crime. 

We  had  been  employed  at  knitting,  and  after  I  was  re- 
moved from  the  dormitory  for  the  reasons  given,  I  continued 
that  work  in  my  cell,  and  was  getting  along  as  well  as  could 
be  expected  for  one  who  was  shut  up  all  day  and  night  in 
solitude — pet  animals  being  prohibited. 

In  the  early  sumxUier  of  1882,  Dr.  Braine  came  as  the  new 
medical  officer;  but  after  Dr.  Yon  Martin's  administration 
for  one  year,  he  had  not  much  to  do  in  the  way  of  clearing 
out  impostors ;  and  owing  to  the  warders  reporting  a  good 
many  genuine  cases  as  able-bodied  men,  forty  had  been  sent 
away  previously  to  other  stations,  and  I  heard   later  that 


THE  KNITTING  PARTY.  5|7 

twenty-two  of  these  had  died  — a  further  example  of  how 
certain  of  the  most  cunning  and  determined  prisoners  injure 
and  cause  the  death  of  many  others,  by  feigning  maladies  to 
escape  labor,  thus  imposing  on  the  doctors. 

The  first  day  the  new  medical  officer  made  his  round, 
warder  Abbot  threw  open  the  door  of  my  cell  and  shouted, 
"Attention! "  Doctor  Braine,  on  seeing  me,  asked  the  warder 
how  I  was  getting  on.  "Very  bad,  sir,"  he  answered;  "he 
makes  us  all  the  trouble  he  can."  The  fact  is,  1  had  been 
in  the  habit  of  ringing  for  the  warder  but  once  in  the  day. 
This  is  an  example  of  how  prisoners  are  prejudiced  in  the 
eyes  of  the  authorities,  and  the  best  qualification  a  prison- 
doctor  can  have  is  that  of  ability  to  read  under  the  surface 
and  penetrate  the  tough  shell  of  the  various  deceptions  be- 
neath which  the  truth  is  hidden.  Dr.  Yane  C.  Clarke  pos- 
sessed this  qualification  in  an  eminent  degree,  and  the  lack 
of  it,  as  in  Dr.  Braine's  case,  renders  them  but  tools  in  the 
hands  of  unscrupulous  warders. 

During  the  warm  weather  we  were  put  out  with  the  stock- 
ing-knitting party  under  a  long  open  gallery  which  commanded 
a  far-extended  view  of  the  beautiful  country.  Though  we 
were  hemmed  in  by  high  walls  our  longing  eyes  could  roam  at 
will  over  a  space  of  country  that  was/ree.  The  fleecy  clouds 
floating  so  lazily  aloft  made  us  long  for  liberty.  The  soft 
summer  breeze  blowing  from  the  distant  hills  was  untainted 
with  the  breath  of  slaves,  and  spoke  to  our  hearts  of  freedom. 

It  was  here  that  I  first  saw  D ,  who  was  serving  a 

life  sentence  for  a  series  of  forgeries  that  carried  ruin  to  many 
people,  including  widows  and  orphans.  I  was  seated  beside 
him  on  the  same  bench  —  a  row  extending  down  the  gallery 
on  which  were  seated  about  one  hundred  men  engaged  in  knit- 
ting stockings  and  in  furtive  whispering.  It  was  rather 
amusing  to  see  the  warder  march  slowly  up  and  down  in  front 
of  the  line  of  knitters,  who,  as  he  got  a  little  past,  would 
cease  work  and  begin  whispering  eagerly  to  their  neighbors. 
The  warder  turning  saw  every  eye  fixed  intently  on  the  work, 


5-|g  THE  DREGS  OF  AN  ILL-SPENT  LIFE. 

the  fingers  making  the  needles  fly  as  if  their  owners'  lives 
were  at  stake.  In  this  wa\'  I  had  a  great  deal  of  stolen  con- 
versation with  D .     At  this  time,  August,  1882,  he  was 

fifty-five,  and  had  completed  five  years  of  his  term  —  was 
crippled  in  one  thigh  by  sciatica,  and  compelled  to  use  crutches. 
He  had  been  a  London  solicitor  and  contractor  —  one  of  his 
jobs  having  been  the  construction  of  the  very  canal  which  ran 
past  within  sight  of  where  we  sat,  and  the  view  must  have 
awakened  in  him  sharp  pangs  as  he  compared  his  former  pros- 
perity with  his  present  wretched  condition.  "  Here  by  my 
side,"  I  reflected,  "  sits  a  man  who  has  had  every  worldly 
advantage  that  money  could  give.  From  birth  he  has  been 
surrounded  with  friends,  received  a  good  education,  and  the 
polish  which  only  association  with  cultured  people  can  confer  ; 
and  yet  he  has  arrived  at  the  same  goal  as  the  pickpocket  who 
is  sitting  next  to  him,  and  who  started  from  the  gutter." 

D appeared  to  me  a  very  nice,  well-disposed  gentle- 
man, and,  although  he  was  the  cause  of  much  ruin,  I  have  no 
doubt  that  when  he  first  found  himself  in  financial  difficulties 
he  resorted  to  fraudulent  practices  believing  he  was  as  cer- 
tain to  extricate  himself  as  I  was  when  I  retained,  tempora- 
rily, ten  dollars  of  my  employer's  cash.  At  the  time  of  his 
disaster  he  had  a  wife  and  seven  grown  children,  of  whom  he 
was  very  proud,  often  referring  to  them  and  to  the  fine  educa- 
tion they  had  received.  His  great  sorrow  was  that,  through 
his  business  troubles,  they  had  been  obliged  to  forsake  their 
former  residence  in  the  "  West  End  "  of  London,  to  give  up 
their  horses  and  carriage,  and  to  be  deprived  of  association 
with  the  society  to  which  they  had  been  accustomed.  He 
could  not  have  been  a  very  bad  man,  for  they  still  loved  him 
and  did  all  in  their  power  to  procure  a  pardon,  coming  to  visit 
him  every  three  months,  and  occasionally  getting  a  special 
visiting-order  from  the  Home  Office.  When  arrested  he  was 
a  strong,  healthy,  active  man  of  fifty,  but  these  five  years  of 
retribution  had  changed  him  into  an  old,  decrepit  valetudina- 
rian.    Petition    after  petition  was  refused,  but   at   last   his 


DR.  BRAINE'S  CAST-IRON  ORDERS.  5^9 

faithful  wife  had  the  satisfaction  of  bringing  him  the  glad 
tidings  that  the  sentence  had  been  reduced  to  ten  years,  and 
he  was  discharged  shortly  before  myself. 

Here  was  a  case  where  ruin  had  been  wrought  on  many 
helpless  persons,  and  his  friends  obtained  his  release  from  a 
life  sentence  after  serving  ten  years  —  while  my  friends  had 
a  petition  refused  when  I  had  done  thirteen,  and  only  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  me  home  in  the  fifteenth  year  by  bringing 
to  bear  the  most  powerful  influence.  Others,  who  were  guilt- 
less as  compared  with  myself,  are  still  held  crushed  within  the 
Lion's  jaws ;  but  then,  we  were  Americans,  and  charged  with 
putting  our  hands  in  the  plethoric  money-bags  of  the  wealthi- 
est corporation  in  the  world. 

It  was  very  pleasant  sitting  beneath  the  shade  of  the  gal- 
lery engaged  in  knitting,  whispering,  and  gazing  out  at  the 
extended  landscape,  or  watching  the  fleecy  clouds  floating  so 
majestically  in  the  dull-blue  English  sky  —  so  different  from 
the  cerulean  of  my  own  lost  native  land.  I  was  incessantly 
repeating :  "  Sail  on,  0  fleecy  clouds,  you  at  least  are  free  !  " 
How  often  have  I  asked  a  fellow  prisoner  if  he  would  like  to 
lie  upon  one  of  them  and  sail  away  anywhere,  so  it  should 
convey  him  into  liberty  !  Alas  !  this  relief  to  my  long  period 
of  solitude  in  cells  was  too  short ;  the  summer  was  over,  and 
the  knitting-party  was  sent  to  the  close  shop,  and  we  cripples 
kept  in  separate  cells. 

Dr.  Braine  discharged  four  cripples  from  the  Infirmary 
—  had  them  placed  in  the  same  fireless  dormitory  where  I 
had  suffered  so  much  the  previous  winter,  and  ordered  that  I 
should  be  put  into  it  to  work  with  the  others  daring  the  work- 
ing hours,  and  then  taken  back  to  my  cell.  One  of  the  new 
occupants  of  the  dormitory  was  the  ex-solicitor.  During  these 
working  hours  I  suffered  with  cold.  It  was  in  vain  that  I  ex- 
plained this  to  Dr.  Braine ;  his  orders  were  like  those  of 
the  Medes,  unchangeable. 

In  consequence,  I  became  cold  and  benumbed.  I  lived 
entirely  on  bread  (twenty-two  ounces  per  day),  and  by  the 


520  ^  PLACE  OF  TORTURE. 

middle  of  January  I  had  become  miable  to  sit  up,  and  I 
begged  of  the  doctor  to  let  me  work  in  my  cell.  Dr.  Braine 
would  no  longer  believe  the  false  reports  of  warder  Abbot, 
and  permitted  me  to  remain  in  my  own  cell  to  work. 

On  several  occasions  this  warder,  Abbot,  had  dragged  me 
about  by  the  collar,  and  given  me  kicks  in  the  side  with  his 
heavy,  hob-nailed  boots.  On  the  first  of  these  occasions,  when 
the  governor  (Bones)  made  his, round,  1  complained  of  the 
violence  in  Abbot's  presence.  When  1  had  made  the  com- 
plaint. Governor  Bones  said :  '•  You  are  telling  lies ;  no  officer 
would  dare  do  such  a  thing.  You  had  better  be  careful  how 
you  make  any  such  complaints  against  officers,  or  you  will  be 
severely  punished," — and  away  he  tramped. 

When  the  irons  and  chains  were  put  on  me  at  Pentonville, 
Bones  was  governor  there ;  and  it  was  my  misfortune,  and 
that  of  hundreds  of  others,  that  he  had  been  transferred  to 
Woking.  He  could  not  do  so  much  mischief  at  Pentonville, 
as  the  men  were  only  there  for  nine  months;  but  Woking  — 
where  a  great  many  men  were  sent  as  invalids  from  the  hard- 
labor  stations  of  Chatham,  Portland,  Portsmouth,  Dartmoor, 
and  Wormwood  Scrubs  —  became,  under  his  supervision,  an 
unrestricted  place  of  torture,  and  warders  were  not  long  in  dis- 
covering that  they  could  commit  any  brutality  on  prisoners, 
save  for  the  doctors,  without  fear  of  punishment. 

It  was  this  governor  who  manipulated  the  Robinson  mur- 
der, previously  mentioned,  in  a  way  to  clear  the  guilty  warders 
and  get  the  honest,  humane  one  discharged  from  the  service 
as  a  lunatic.  But  within  eighteen  months  of  the  period  to 
which  I  have  brought  my  story,  there  was  to  be  a  resurrection 
at  Woking  of  long-buried  humanity,  for  it  was  already  on  the 
books  that  the  governorship  would  then  be  transferred  to  the 
able  hands  of  Dr.  Yane  C.  Clarke. 

I  cannot  leave  this  part  of  my  subject  without  recording 
that  Abbot  was  a  cavalryman,  who  was  in  the  "  Charge  of 
the  Light  Brigade  "  in  the  Crimea,  and  for  that  reason  alone 
he  had  received  the  appointment  of  warder  in  the  prison 
service. 


HELD  FOR  TWENTY-TWO  YEARS  — NO  FRIENDS.  521 

Across  the  corridor,  opposite  our  dormitory,  there  was  a 
three-bedded  one,  in  which  were  confined  three  other  cripples. 
Two  of  these  were  taken  to  work  in  the  tailors'  shop,  and  that 
the  third  might  not  be  locked  up  in  solitude  all  day  —  except- 
ing the  hour's  exercise  —  he  was  brought  to  sit  with  us  dur- 
ing working  hours,  in  consequence  of  which  I  became  well- 
acquainted  with  him.  This  was  in  1882,  and  he  had  then 
been  in  prison  without  a  break  for  twenty-nine  years.  His. 
name  was  Pennock,  and  he  was  serving  a  "  life  "  sentence  for 
the  murder  of  a  youth,  the  crime  being  perpetrated  in  his 
eighteenth  year.  [A  "life"  sentence  is  one  in  which  the  con- 
vict was,  previous  to  1864,  discharged  after  serving  twelve 
years.  Since  1864  a  new  act  of  Parliament  has  extended  it  to 
twenty  years.  A  "  natural  life  "  sentence  is  only  given  in 
cases  of  murder  or  like  enormities,  and  the  convict  has  no 
hope  of  release  except  by  death.]  When  Pennock  had  served 
eleven  years  and  nine  months  he  was  permitted  to  grow  his 
hair  and  beard,  as  usual,  three  months  before  being  set  at 
liberty.  When  the  twelve  years  were  fully  expired  he  was 
dressed  in  citizen's  clothes  and  sent  in  charge  of  a  warder  to 
his  former  home.  On  making  inquiries  the  warder  ascer- 
tained that  all  his  friends  were  dead.  He  applied  to  the  town 
authorities  for  a  permit  to  leave  him  at  the  workhouse,  but 
was  refused,  and  as  he  was  a  paralytic,  unable  to  earn  a 
livelihood  save  by  begging,  he  was  obliged  to  take  him  back 
to  the  prison,  where  he  has  since  remained.  In  this  year  of 
our  Lord  Christ  the  Merciful,  1888,  he  will  be  serving  his 
thirty-fourth  year  in  prison,  twenty-two  of  it  since  he  was  by 
law  entitled  to  his  liberty,  and  this  because  he  is  buried  in  a 
living  grave  and  has  had  no  means  of  making  his  condition 
known.  Surely  there  are  thousands  who  would  rejoice  to 
assist  him  to  the  opportunity  of  drawing  a  full  breath  of 
God's  free  air  before  he  dies.  And  this  the  more  when  they 
read  the  following  account  of  his  birth,  and  the  circumstances 
under  which  he  committed  the  crime. 

In  addition  to  his  infirmities,  Pennock  was  born  with  an 


522  A  vow  FULFILLED. 

immense  club-foot,  the  shoe  I  saw  him  have  on  being  eight 
inches  in  diameter.  By  the  use  of  a  crutch  he  could  walk 
after  a  fashion.  While  in  the  dormitory  he  would  drop  off 
into  epileptic  fits  several  times  a  day,  and  he  informed  me 
that  he  had  been  subject  to  them  from  birth,  his  general  ap- 
pearance bearing  out  the  statement.  Every  one  knows  what 
kind  of  a  life  such  a  deformed  boy  would  have  among  other 
boys  of  whom  he  would  be  the  butt. 

One  of  the  neighboring  boys  plagued  him  so  persistently 
for  years,  that  at  last  Pennock  conceived  a  deadly  hatred 
against  him  and  thirsted  for  that  revenge  which  his  physical 
debilities  precluded  him  from  taking  with  his  fists.  One  day, 
when  he  was  about  eighteen,  a  friend  of  his  married  sister 
called  at  the  house,  leaving  his  loaded  gun  in  the  kitchen. 
Pennock  had  just  returned  fuming  from  fresh  hectorings  of 
his  enemy,  and  spying  the  gun,  he  took  it  unobserved,  went 
and  hid  himself  in  a  hedge,  and  had  but  just  concealed  him- 
self when  his  foe  appeared,  whom  he  shot  dead. 

That  is  his  own  version,  and  it  is  clear  that  there  must 
have  been  very  extenuating  circumstances,  or  he  would  never 
have  been  let  off  for  so  execrable  a  crime  with  a  sentence 
which  the  judge  knew  was  equivalent  to  twelve  years. 

He  appeared  to  me  a  well-disposed  man,  of  a  peaceful, 
quiet  disposition  and  religiously  inclined,  though  he  made 
no  hypocritical  professions  in  that  direction. 

Although  at  the  time  I  was  myself  almost  hopeless  of 
regaining  my  liberty,  I  vowed  that  if  such  an  event  ever 
came  about  I  would  make  his  case  kftown  where  there  are  so 
many  noble-hearted  benefactors  of  the  unfortunate.  And 
here  indeed  is  the  miserahle  of  miserables  ! 

Despite  my  own  black  prospects  I  tried  to  console  the 
poor  fellow,  and  told  him  that  if  I  lived  to  be  freed  and  he  was 
still  alive,  a  breath  of  free  air  should  expand  his  lungs  before 
he  died.  Six  years  have  passed  since  that  promise  was  given, 
and  now  it  stands  as  deeply  in  my  heart  as  when  it  was  given. 
He  is  at  the  Parkhurst  prison  on  the  Isle  of  Wight. 


Chapter  XLVIII. 


WOKING  CONVICT  LUNATIC  ASYLUM  —  SELF-MADE  LUNATICS — VILE  AND  JAMES 
AGAIN — VILE'S  RECEPTION  OF  'A  LUNATIC  — "  WE  CAN  KILL  A  MAN  AND 
LEAVE  NO  marks"  —  HOW  THEY  DO  IT  —  LUNATIC  IMPOSTORS  AND  THEIR 
DOINGS  —  THE  WOKING  HIGH  PRIEST  —  "  LIFE'S  ACTION  "  —  ROBBED  OF  THREE 
tears'  REMISSION  —  GOVERNMENTAL  INCONSISTENCIES  —  JUSTICE  VERSUS  IN- 
JUSTICE. 

IT  was  a  merciful  act  to  send  those  convicts  who  were 
really  insane  to  a  specially  prepared  prison  where  they 
could  receive  the  care  their  condition  deserved,  for  at  the 
regular  prisons  they  were  unavoidably  subjected  to  severe 
discipline,  and  consequent  mistreatment,  which  aggravated 
their  malady  and  gave  little  chance  for  improvement  or. 
recovery.  Had  it  been  possible  to  keep  out  the  impostors, 
this  would  have  accomplished  the  humane  purpose  intended 
by  the  board  of  prison  commissioners ;  but  this  proved  to 
be  beyond  the  power  of  the  most  skilled  and  experienced 
doctors.  It  will  be  seen  that  scores  of  convicts  "  put  on  the 
balmy  "  so  skillfully,  and  carried  the  imposture  through  with 
such  perseverance,  as  to  undergo  successfully  every  test 
known  to  medical  science,  as  well  as  the  most  terrible  pun- 
ishments inflicted  on  them  by  the  other  prison  authorities  to 
break  up  their  imposture. 

The  first  insane  convicts  who  were  sent  to  the  criminal 
lunatic  asylum  in  1864,  were  either  cured  and  sent  back  to 
finish  their  term  of  penal  servitude,  or  on  its  completion 
were  sent  to  the  lunatic  asylum  of  the  county  where  they  had 
been  convicted.  At  all  events,  a  large  proportion  eventually 
recovered  their  liberty,  and  it  was  not  long  before  they  were 
arrested  in  the  commission  of  some  crime,  tried,  convicted, 

(523) 


524  ''PUTTING  ON  THE  BALMY:* 

and  returned  to  the  public  works  prisons  or  convict  estab- 
lishments. Here  their  talk,  or  rather  whispering,  with  their 
fellow-prisoners  naturally  turned  on  their  experiences  at  the 
prison  lunatic  asylum,  then  recently  established  at  Broad- 
moor ;  and  it  soon  became  known  to  the  convicts  throughout 
all  Her  Majesty's  prisons  that  those  among  them  who  were 
declared  to  be  insane  were  sent  to  a  place  of  comparative 
freedom,  where  they  could  act  about  as  they  pleased,  perform 
little  or  no  labor,  or,  in  other. words,  receive  the  humane 
treatment  which  the  better  feeling  prevalent  in  our  time 
requires  toward  those  unfortunates  who  have  from  any  cause 
become  irresponsible  for  their  acts.  As  soon  as  this  became 
known,  numbers  of  men  feigned  insanity  (in  prison  parlance, 
"put  on  the  balmy"),  and  as  the  doctors  were  then  unsus- 
picious, the  tests  applied  were  very  easily  borne,  and  after 
remaining  in  the  hospital  under  observation  for  two  or  three 
weeks  only,  they  were  certified  to  be  insane  and  sent  away  to 
Broadmoor. 

Cases  of  insanity  now  multiplied  so  rapidly  that  suspicion 
of  imposture  became  a  certainty,  and  the  doctors  gradually 
became  more  rigorous  and  applied  tests  which  tried  the  phys- 
ical powers  and  determination  of  the  niost  case-hardened  and 
obstinate;  so  that  by  the  time  to  which  I  have  brought  my 
personal  history,  1883,  those  who  were  really  insane,  or  who 
were  feigning  to  be  so,  were  subjected  to  the  most  terrible 
tests  during  three,  six,  twelve,  or  eighteen  months,  and  few 
of  the  attempted  impostors  were  able  to  withstand  the  ordeal. 

The  penalty  for  ''putting  on  the  balmy"  was  usually  a 
flogging  with  the  cat-o'-nine-tails,  provided  the  doctor  gave 
them  over  to  the  i^wtender  mercies  of  the  other  prison  author- 
ities; but  unless  the  man  was  a  very  hard  nut  indeed,  the 
doctors  would  not  let  him  be  reported,  for  in  most  cases, 
before  he  could  be  made  to  desist,  he  had  undergone  an 
amount  of  deprivation  and  suffering  that  should  have  been 
sufficient  to  satisfy  the  most  rigorous  martinet. 

The  foregoing  brief  sketch  will  enable  the  reader  to  better 


A  PRISON-  DIALOGUE.  525 

understand  the  whys  and  wherefores  of  the  various  incidents 
referred  to. 

In  the  last  chapter  I  had  brought  my  story  up  to  the 
spring  of  1883,  when  I  had  been  reduced  very  low  by  the 
peculiar  attentions  of  warder  Abbot,  the  ex-cavalry  private. 
I  was  then  sent  up-stairs  into  B  ward,  the  cells  of  which  were 
used  for  hospital  patients  who  for  any  reason  were  not  allowed 
to  remain  in  one  of  the  large  hospital  wards  —  the  former 
charges  of  attempting  to  escape  from  Newgate  and  Penton- 
ville  being  the  alleged  reason  for  my  confinement  in*  cells 
since  March,  1873  —  ten  long  years.  B  ward  was  in  charge 
of  Vile  and  assistant  warder  James ;  the  one  Vile  by  name, 
both  utterly  vile  and  corrupt  by  nature.  Some  of  the  cells 
were  also  used  for  "observation"  of  those  who  were  sus- 
pected of  feigning  insanity ;  and  under  the  warders  named, 
all  such,  genuine  cases  or  otherwise,  truly  had  a  hard  road  to 
travel. 

When  a  new  patient  was  sent  into  the  ward,  a  scene  very 
much  like  the  following  was  enacted : 

Vile  (to  prisoyier,  in  a  loud,  menaciyig  voice)  —  Stand  there 
against  the  wall!  {Tlien  stmiding  in  front  of  him.')  What's 
your  name  ? 

Prisoner — John  Smith. 

Vile  (looks  menaciiigly  a  moment^  then  giving  him  a  heavy 
punch  with  the  fist  in  the  stomach')  —  Stand  up  straight,  you 
scoundrel !     What 's  the  matter  with  you  ? 

Prisoner  —  Nothing,  only  those  women  are  following  me 
about  day  and  night ! 

Vile  —  Putting  on  the  balmy,  you !     Take  that.' 

(giving  him   another  punch.)     I'll   learn  you  to  say  "Sir" 
when  you  answer  me ! 

And  so  on,  for  a  half-hour,  just  outside  of  my  cell  door, 
Vile  winding  up  by  pointing  to  a  cell  and  shouting :  "  Go  in 

there,  you !"   and  as  the  prisoner  turned  to  go,  he 

received  a  helper  in  the  rear  from  the  toe  of  the  warder's 
heavy  boot. 


526  ^^^^  ^^^^  ^^^   ^^^  ''OPERATED''   UPON. 

I  have  seen  warder  Vile  strike  a  man  with  his  fist  on  the 
chest  and  back  twenty  or  thirty  heavy  blows,  and  kick  him 
with  his  hob-nailed  boots.  I  have  seen  assistant  warder 
James  do  the  same  thing,  and  I  have  been  present  when  he 
stripped  a  patient  stark  naked,  dragged  him  out  of  bed,  and 
while  he  lay  nude  upon  his  back  on  the  floor,  walk  up  and 
down  his  body,  standing  full  weight  with  both  feet  on  his 
chest  and  abdomen.  James  weighed  one  hundred  and  eighty 
pounds.  All  this  would  be  done  in  a  way,  well  understood 
by  prison  warders,  that  left  no  external  bruise  or  mark,  but 
was  pretty  certain  to  bring  on  heart,  liver,  or  other  com- 
plaints, of  which  the  man  was  likely  to  die.  I  have  heard 
one  of  the  men  thus  treated  complain  to  Dr.  Braine  in  the 
presence  of  those  warders;  but  as  the  doctor,  on  examination, 
could  discover  no  marks,  he  took  no  notice  of  the  complaint 
— the  warders  standing  by  with  such  an  honest,  innocent 
expression  of  indignation,  apparently,  mingled  with  pity  for 
the  mendacity  of  the  prisoner  who  dared  tell  the  doctor  such 
"  audacious  falsehoods,"  that  even  their  victim  was  abashed, 
and  faltered  so  that  the  doctor  left  with  the  impression 
that  the  warders  were  much-enduring  men  of  humanity  and 
integrity. 

[It  may  be  as  well  to  state  that  I  am  the  man  who  was 
"operated"  upon,  as  described.] 

In  1884,  the  board  of  prison  commissioners  having  decided 
to  break  up  and  do  away  with  the  Woking  prisons,  the  con- 
victs able  to  be  removed  to  other  stations  were  sent  away ;  I 
being  crippled  was  sent  to  the  west  wing,  which  was  used  for 
the  confinement  of  convict  lunatics  who  were  to  remain  until 
a  special  wing  for  their  accommodation  should  be  erected  at 
Broadmoor. 

In  the  C  hospital  ward  there  were  twenty-four  beds  for 
patients,  twelve  of  which  were  in  cells,  the  remainder  in  an 
open  ward  where  I  was  located. 

There  were  three  wards,  A  the  lower,  B  the  second  floor, 
and  C  the  upper.     The  whole  prison  was  surrounded  by  a 


THE  GAME  OF  CHESS  REVIVED. 


52T 


brick  wall  about  twenty-five  feet  in  height.  The  west  wing, 
or  lunatic  wing,  was  cut  off  from  the  rest  of  the  prison  by  a 
cross-wall,  and  the  space  around  it,  within  the  wall  of  cir- 
cumvallation,  was  divided  by  walls  into  three  yards,  one 
for  dangerous  lunatics  ;  the  largest,  comprising  about  an  acre, 
was  used  for  a  flower  and  vegetable  garden,  which  some  of 
the  inmates  could  cultivate  for  themselves. 

The  prisoners  here  were  all  considered  patients  and  were 
under  the  special  charge  of  the  medical  officer  and  his  assist- 
ants. When  it  did 
not  storm  the  pa- 
tients were  out  in 
the  garden  two  hours 
in  the  forenoon,  and 
the  same  in  the  af- 
ternoon. They  were 
also  in  the  recrea- 
tion-room from  half- 
past  eleven  to  one 
o'clock,  and  from 
half-past  four  to  six 
P.  M.,  so  that  they 
passed  only  eighteen 
hours  out  of  the  twenty-four  in  their  cells  or  dormitories* 
those  who  worked  out  on  the  farm  or  in  the  Avash-house 
having  still  less  time  to  pass  in  them. 

When  I  was  for  the  first  time  in  the  recreation-room  I  at 
once  noticed  a  set  of  chess-men,  but  these  had  never  been 
used,  as  no  one  understood  the  game.  Board  and  men 
were  brought  out,  and  I  soon  had  so  many  apt  pupils  that  I 
was  obliged  to  make  three  other  sets  of  men.  I  mixed  some 
porridge,  bread,  and  sand  into  dough,  modeled  them  into  shape, 
and  they  answered  the  purpose  admirably. 

The  place  had  been  fitted  for  convict-lunatics,  and  furnished 
with  every  facility  usually  found  in  free  insane  asylums  for  the 
employment  of  the  minds  of  the  inmates ;  but  the  conduct  of 
twenty  or  thirty  of  those  who  had  got  there  by  imposing  on 


MENDING    BELLOWS. 


528 


RIOTOUS  IMPOSTORS. 


the  doctors  had  caused  a  gradual  reduction  of  those  facilities 
and  pri\'ileges. 

These  pretended  lunatics  had  taken  advantage  of  the  situ- 
ation and  cared  for  nothing  but  their  own  indulgences,  at 
the  expense  of  those  who  were  really  insane.  They  were  the 
most  hardened,  desperate,  and  depraved  characters  that  the 
English  system  of  imprisonment  could  produce  —  and  that  is 
saying  a  great  deal. 

A  majority  of  them  had  cicatrices  on  their  backs  left  by 
the  cat-o'-nine-tails.     Every  day  there  were  ring  fights  in  the 

yard,  which  the  war- 
ders enjoyed,  and 
stood  around  to  see 
fair  play. 

Within  the  pris- 
on they  smashed  up 
the  furniture  and 
even  destroyed  the 
specialties  so  hu- 
manely provided  by 
the  government  for 
those  doubly  unfor- 
tunate wretches, 
convict  lunatics,  who 
were  really  insane.  Billiard  and  bagatelle  tables,  books, 
and  pictures,  were  willfully  mutilated  by  these  reckless  impos- 
tors. They  played  upon  the  infirmities  of  the  really  insane 
and  imbecile,  recking  not  how  much  these  were  injured,  pro- 
vided they  themselves  had  "  a  lot  of  fun  "  out  of  the  poor  crea- 
tures. 

There  were  some  strange  characters  in  this  unique  institu- 
tion. One  man  believed  that  the  prison  was  Solomon's  tem- 
ple, and  himself  the  high  priest.  In  the  course  of  years  he 
had  with  infinite  labor  worked  down  and  polished  veined 
stones,  which  were  common  in  that  part  of  England,  into 
imitation  cameos  and  other  really  fine  works  of  art.  With 
these  he  had  made  a  breast-plate,  also  imitated  all  the  other 


MASONS    AT    WORK. 


DICKENS  {NOT  CHARLES).  529 

parts  of  the  costume  of  a  high  priest  made  from  precious 
stones.  In  order  to  keep  him  quiet  the  doctor  had  given  him 
materials,  and  he  had  rigged  himself  out  in  the  full  costume 
of  a  high  priest,  except  that  the  hat  was  ornamented  with 
feathers.  Following  the  doctor's  cue,  the  warders  humored 
his  "  craze,"  and  every  Sabbath  formed  a  body  guard  for  him 
while  he  marched  in  state  to  the  chapel. 

Another  man,  by  the  name  of  Dickens,  believed  himself 
the  greatest  poet  on  earth,  and  had  written  a  play,  showing 
up  the  horrors  of  war.  The  plot  and  plan  of  the  play  were 
really  good,  but  it  was  written  without  rhyme  or  reason. 
He  had  named  it  "  Life's  Action,"  and  this  sobriquet  had 
taken  the  place  of  his  own  name.  "Life's  Action"  was  con- 
tinually spouting  portions  of  his  drama.  He  took  a  particular 
fancy  to  me,  and  used  to  recite  it  to  me  by  the  hour.  At 
the  time  I  was  composing  a  good  deal  of  rhyme  myself, 
and  although  he  thought  his  own  incomparable,  after  I  had 
altered  a  few  lines  of  it  for  him  he  was  so  much  pleased 
that  he  wished  me  to  go  through  the  whole,  but  so  secretly 
that  no  one  should  suspect  that  I  had  a  hand  in  "  Life's 
Action."  As  it  was  my  custom  while  among  the  insane 
there  to  do  anything  in  my  power  to  benefit  or  to  give 
healthy  occupation  to  their  diseased  minds,  of  course  I  ac- 
ceded to  his  wishes.  He  brought  me  his  manuscript  book, 
and  I  rewrote  the  whole,  following  his  style  in  a  general 
way,  cutting  out  incoherencies  and  filling  in  where  required, 
so  that  when  it  left  my  hands  it  certainly  possessed  some 
metre,  rhyme,  and  reason.  I  would  write  a  slate  full  at  a 
time,  this  he  would  take  and  copy  on  foolscap  which  the 
doctor  allowed,  while  I  was  filling  another  slate.  When 
we  had  completed  tlie  job  he  was  so  highly  delighted,  and 
in  the  same  degree  so  fearful  that  any  one  should  discover 
the  changes  were  not  his  own,  that  he  took  the  old  manu- 
script and  put  it  in  the  stove,  so  that  there  could  be  no 
comparison  of  the  old  and  new.  This  man  Dickens  had 
received  a  sentence  of  fifteen  years'  penal  servitude  for  at- 
34 


530  SAI^E  SAFE  A  ''HOBBY.'' 

tempting  to  shoot  his  wife  and  then  himself.  He  was  of  a 
respectable  family,  a  distant  cousin  of  the  great  novelist. 

''  While  on  the  public  works  eleven  years,"  said  Dickens, 
"  I  composed  '  Life's  Action '  w4th  only  a  slate  to  write  on, 
and  committed  it  to  memory  as  fast  as  it  was  composed. 
You  see  what  a  splendid  work  it  is,  and  because  I  used  to 
recite  it,  they  put  me  down  '  balmy,'  and  instead  of  sending 
me  home  when  I  had  done  eleven  and  a  half  years,  they  are 
keeping  me  among  these  insane  people  and  forcing  me  to 
serve  the  whole  fifteen  years,  thus  depriving  me  of  the 
three  and  one-half  years  of  fairly  earned  freedom." 

Indeed  this  last  was  a  real  grievance,  and  the  case  of 
Dickens  was  a  type  of  many  other  genuine  cases  of  insanity 
which  came  under  my  notice  during  the  three  and  one-half 
years  that  I  was  located  in  the  lunatic  wing.  This  is  the 
injustice  —  nay,  robbery  —  which,  if  perpetrated  b}"  a  private 
individual  instead  of  by  the  British  Government,  would  in 
the  eyes  of  every  right-feeling  person  be  considered  not  only 
a  base  and  dishonorable,  but  a  criminal  act,  which  should 
consign  the  doer  to  a  period  of  seeing  how  the  world  looked 
from  inside  the  grates,  and  long  enough  to  give  plenty  of 
time  for  contemplation  of  his  turpitude. 

In  the  aggregate  a  large  number  of  men  have  earned  the 
legal  remission  of  a  portion  of  the  original  sentence,  and 
on  showing  signs  of  hallucination  on  one  subject  —  though 
right  enough  in  all  others  —  instead  of  giving  them  their 
liberty  at  the  time  stipulated,  they  are  sent  from  all  the 
convict  establishments  to  the  lunatic  wing  at  Woking,  where 
they  are  kept  till  the  full  term  of  the  sentence  has  expired. 

For  example,  Dickens  was  as  sensible  as  ordinary  men 
on  all  subjects  save  that  of  his  hobby,  "  Life's  Action."  He 
had  a  good  trade,  was  industrious,  and,  despite  his  hallucina- 
tion, was  quite  capable  of  earning  a  livelihood,  and  withal 
was  an  honest  man.  His  general  principles  were  good  ;  he 
had  been  in  the  lunatic  wing  some  years  when  I  first  saw 
him  there,  and  had  seen  an  unlimited  number  of  the  horrible 


THE  CRIME  OF  SICKNESS.  531 

abuses  prevalent  before  and  after  my  arrival.  It  would  re- 
quire another  volume  to  recount  what  I  saw  myself.  Dick- 
ens was  inoffensive,  careful  not  to  infringe  the  rules,  and 
never  got  into  trouble  with  any  one.  At  the  time  I  first 
knew  him  he  wore  the  special  blue  dress,  the  possession  of 
which  proved  that  he  had  earned  his  three  and  one-half 
years  remission,  therefore  entitled  to  his  liberty,  also  that  he 
bore  a  good  prison  character.  He  fretted  constantly  at 
being  retained  in  prison  so  unjustly,  and  I  am  sure  it  was 
of  great  injury  to  his  mind.  The  reason  assigned  was  that 
the  workhouses  or  asylums  of  the  places  whence  the  con- 
victs were  sent  would  not  receive  insane  men  until  they  had 
served  out  the  full  term  of  their  sentence,  and  this  because 
for  that  length  of  time  the  county  or  township  could  tliroiu 
upon  the  general  government  the  expense  of  maintaining  them. 
A  reason  indeed  for  a  glaring  wrong  against  a  defenseless 
class  ivho  are  additionally  punished  on  account  of  their  in- 
firmities !  And  this  permitted  to  go  on  thirty  years  by  the 
all-powerful  central  government ! 

While  on  the  subject  I  beg  to  call  the  attention  of  my 
readers  to  another  almost  equal  robbery,  only  the  sufferers 
are  not  yet  lunatics:  The  doctors  have  become  so  skillful, 
and  their  tests  so  thorough,  that  it  is  seldom  a  man  can 
sham  sickness  so  successfully  as  to  obtain  admission  to  the 
hospital.  Yet  the  moment  a  sick  man  is  admitted  into 
the  hospital  his  remission  marks  cease,  and  I  have  known 
instances  in  which  men  had  to  remain  in  prison  eighteen 
months  longer  on  a  seven  years'  sentence  solely  because  they 
were  sick. 

During  my  imprisonment  I  was  occasionally  granted  a 
blank  form  on  which  I  wrote  petitions  in  my  own  behalf,  but 
invariably  the  reply  w^as  the  same  as  in  the  facsimile  of  one 
of  the  refusals  of  the  English  government  to  grant  my  release, 
the  application  having  been  presented  by  the  Hon.  John  R. 
Buck,  the  influential  Representative  of  the  First  district  of 
Connecticut  in  Congress. 


632 


ANOTHER  PETITION  REFUSED. 


'.-t-y^ 


uit-CL.^-^ 


J 


^<£jh 


»<itov-V'-iei-»<?^ 


^^i^«*^<^^*-*»^»e 


Chapter  XLIX. 


HEEP  (not  "URIAH")  —  A  SKETCH  OF  HIS  LIFE  —  AT  FIFTEEN  HE  ESCAPES  FROM 
A  LUNATIC  ASYLUM  —  OBTAINS  A  SITUATION  —  ROBS  HIS  EMPLOYER  —  ESCAPE 
FROM  RAYNELL  ASYLUM  —  STEALS  AN  ATTENDANT'S  SUIT — GETS  FIVE  YEARS 
PENAL  SERVITUDE  AT  CHATHAM  —  SENT  FROM  PRISON  BACK  TO  THE  ASYLUM  — 
ESCAPES  NUDE  WITH  SHAVED  AND  BLISTERED  HEAD  —  HOW  HE  GOT  A  SUIT  — 
HOW  HE  LEARNED  THE  PAINTERS'  TRADE  —  HOW  HE  GOT  A  SECOND  TERM  OP 
SEVEN  YEARS — "FETCHES"  THE  WOKING  LUNATIC  WING  —  DISCHARGE  AND 
DEPARTURE  FOR  AMERICA  —  HE  RETURNS  —  GETS  A  THIRD  TERM  OF  TEN 
YEARS  —  BLEEDING  —  STRAIGHT-JACKET  —  FOURTEEN  MONTHS  WITHOUT  EATING 
—  AN   ORIGINAL  PETITION   AND    "  POEM  "   BY   NIBLO   CLARK. 

4 

IN  the  early  spring  of  1884  I  was  transferred  into  an  asso- 
ciation dormitory  of  twelve  beds  —  these  being  about  four 
feet  apart.  In  the  bed  next  to  mine  was  a  prison  genius 
named  Heep,  who  was  one  of  the  most  singular  characters  I 
ever  met.  As  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  of  him  fre- 
quently up  to  the  time  of  my  release,  I  may  as  well  give  here 
a  sketch  of  his  life  as  related  to  me  by  himself.  He  was  born 
in  the  town  of  Macclesfield,  near  Manchester,  in  1852,  of  re- 
spectable mechanics,  or  trades-people  as  they  are  called  in 
England.  His  father  died  when  Heep  was  about  five  years 
of  age,  and  after  a  time  his  mother  married  a  carpenter  and 
^  joiner  of  the  place. 

Young  Heep  was  a  lively  child,  up  to  all  sorts  of  tricks, 
and  does  not  remember  the  time  since  he  could  walk  that  he 
was  not  in  some  mischief,  and,  as  he  remarked,  "  took  to  all 
sorts  of  deviltry  as  naturally  as  a  duck  to  water."  As  long 
as  his  own  father  lived  there  was  not  much  check  on  his  mis- 
chievous propensities,  but  his  step-father  proved  to  be  a  severe 
and  stern  judge,  and  brought  him  to  book  for  every  irregular- 
ity, thrashing  him  most  unmercifully  for  each  offense.  His 
mother  could  not  have  filled  her  maternal  duty  very  judi- 

(533) 


534  GREEK  TOO  MUCH  FOR  HIM. 

ciously,  judging  from  the  fact  that  before  he  was  twelve  years 
old  she  set  him  to  follow  and  watch  his  step-father  to  the 
house  of  a  woman  of  whom  she  was  jealous.  The  boy  pos- 
sessed great  natural  abilities,  and  in  good  hands  would  have 
turned  out  something  different  than  a  life-long  prison  drudge. 
He  was  handsome,  genteel  in  appearance,  an  apt  scholar, 
though  very  self-willed  and  headstrong,  and  as  he  grew  up  his 
naturally  hot  temper  became  uncontrollable.  At  an  early  age 
he  had  discovered  that  by  threats  of  self-injury  he  could  bend 
his  parents  to  his  wishes,  but  found  in  his  step-father  one  who 
would  put  up  with  no  nonsense ;  even  when  he  cut  himself  so 
as  to  bleed  freely,  instead  of  the  coveted  indulgence  it  only 
procured  him  an  additional  thrashing. 

At  fifteen  he  had  become  ungovernable  at  home,  and  his 
father  had>  him  put  in  the  county  insane  asylum,  where  he 
remained  a  year  and  a  half.  While  there  he  caused  so  much 
trouble  that  the  attendants  were  only  too  glad  when  he 
escaped  and  went  to  Liverpool.  Here  he  succeeded  in  get- 
ting a  situation  with  a  dealer  in  bric-a-brac,  rare  books,  and 
antiquities.  In  a  short  time  the  proprietor  placed  so  much 
confidence  in  his  integrity  that  he  gave  him  the  charge  of 
his  place  during  his  own  absences,  and  young  Heep  was  not 
long  in  taking  advantage  of  his  position  to  rob  his  employer 
by  taking  a  book  or  other  article  which  he  sold  to  some  one 
of  his  master's  customers.  This  went  on  for  some  time 
until  on  one  occasion  he  took  a  book  to  a  shop  kept  by  a 
woman  to  whom  he  had  previously  sold  several  articles  and 
offered  it  for  a  sovereign.  She  examined  it  and  found  that 
it  was  an  ancient,  illuminated  Greek  manuscript,  worth  fifty 
times  more  than  the  price  young  Heep  asked  for  it,  and, 
suspecting  something  wrong,  she  told  him  to  come  again 
for  the  money  the  next  evening.  At  the  appointed  time  he 
entered  the  place  and  was  confronted  by  his  master,  who 
contented  himself  with  upbraiding  him  for  his  perfidy,  and 
discharo-ing;  him  from  his  service. 

At  this  period  of  his  career  he  had  contracted  vicious 


CULTIVATES  THE  FINE  ARTS.  535 

habits,  the  most  pernicious  for  him  being  that  of  drink, 
for  when  sober  he  was  in  his  right  mind,  but  the  moment 
the  drink  was  in  —  like  Edgar  A.  Poe  —  his  common  sense 
departed,  and  he  became  a  raving  maniac,  ready  to  fight  or 
perpetrate  any  other  act  of  folly. 

Up  to  this  time  he  had  never  associated  with  thieves,  and 
had  been  tempted  to  steal  only  in  order  to  supply  means  for 
improper  indulgences. 

Not  long  after  being  discharged  from  his  situation  he  was 
found  by  the  police  acting  in  so  insane  a  manner  under  the 
influence  of  drink,  that  the  magistrate  before  whom  he  was 
taken  had  him  sent  to  the  Raynell  lunatic  asylum.  Here, 
being  perfectly  reckless,  he  carried  on  all  sorts  of  games 
which  made  him  obnoxious,  although  making  himself  very 
useful  in  work  which  he  liked,  such  as  gardening,  etc.  He 
also  took  up  fancy  painting  and  soon  became  a  skillful  copy- 
ist of  prints  of  any  description,  enlarging  or  reducing,  and 
painting  them  in  oil  or  water  colors.  He  also  became  a  good 
decorator  and  scene-painter,  besides  devoting  time  to  various 
studies,  including  music. 

At  last  he  found  means  to  effect  his  escape  and  lay  in 
hiding  until  night,  then  as  he  had  on  the  asylum  clothes, 
which  would  bettay  him,  he  went  back  and  got  in  through 
the  window  of  the  tailors'  shop,  which  was  in  an  isolated 
building,  and  exchanged  the  clothes  he  had  on  for  a  suit 
belonging  to  one  of  the  attendants.  Thinking  himself  now 
safe  from  recognition  he  started  off  across  the  country,  but 
had  not  gone  more  than  twenty  miles  when,  in  passing 
through  a  small  town,  a  policeman  who  had  just  heard  of 
the  escape  from  Raynell,  arrested  him  on  suspicion. 

The  Raynell  authorities  sent  some  one  to  identify  him ;  he 
was  taken  back,  tried  on  the  charge  of  stealing  the  attendant's 
suit  of  clothes,  which  he  still  had  on,  was  convicted  by  the 
usual  ^'  intelligent "  jury  and  sentenced  to  five  years  penal 
servitude. 

Let  the  reader  mark  this  and  what  follows,  then  compare  * 


536  BARELY  ESCAPED. 

it  with  the  fact  that  710  person  certified  hy  the  doctors  to  he  of 
unsound  mind  can  according  to  English  laiv  he  tried  for  any 
offense  whatever.  He  finished  his  term  of  imprisonment  at 
Chatham  and  instead  of  being  set  at  liberty  was  sent  under 
guard  back  to  the  asylum ! 

According  to  English  law,  if  a  person  confined  in  a  lunatic 
asylum  escapes  and  Ivceps  away  fourteen  days  he  cannot  after 
that  be  arrested,  until  he  commits  fresh  acts  of  insanity. 

After  several  futile  attemps  he  at  last  made  good  his 
escape  and  obtained  work  with  a  farmer,  where  he  remained 
safe  for  thirteen  days,  and  was  congratulating  himself  that  in 
less  than  another  day  he  would  be  free,  when  his  thoughts 
were  broken  off  b}^  the  appearance  of  two  attendants  who 
seized  and  carried  him  back  to  the  asylum. 

The  events  above  narrated  had  driven  him  into  a  state  of 
desperation  at  what  he  felt  to  be  gross  injustice,  and  he 
caiTied  on  in  such  a  way  that  the  doctor  ordered  his  head  to 
be  shaved  and  blistered  as  a  punishment,  the  straight-jacket 
and  all  other  coersive  measures  having  been  of  no  avail.  The 
night  watchmen  had  orders  to  watch  him  closely,  but  he 
kept  so  sharp  an  eye  on  the  watchman  that  he  caught  him 
asleep,  and  creeping  to  the  closet  window,  which  he  had  pre- 
viously tampered  with,  crept  out,  and  after  climbing  the 
low  wall  found  himself  on  a  raw  November  night,  with  the 
rain  falling  in  torrents,  a  stark-naked,  head-shaved-and-blis- 
tered,  but  once  more  a  free  man.  In  this  condition  he  wan- 
dered on  throughout  the  night,  and  just  before  daylight  he 
entered  a  cemetery  to  find  that  refuge  among  the  dead  of 
which  he  thought  himself  so  cruelly  deprived  by  the  living. 

Beneath  the  entrance  to  the  church  there  was  a  passage 
which  led  to  some  family  vaults  in  the  basement,  and  he 
crept  down  the  passage  to  seek  some  shelter  for  his  nude 
body  from  the  driving  rain,  which  had  chilled  him  through. 
While  groping  about  in  the  dark  his  hand  rested  on  some- 
thing soft,  which,  to  his  unbounded  delight,  proved  to  be  an 
old  coat  which  had  probably  been  left  there  by  the  sexton, 


A  TRAVELING  "SCARECROW.''  537 

and  forgotten.  He  remained  hidden  all  day,  and  traveled 
through  the  fieWs  all  night,  during  which  he  found  a  "  scare- 
crow," from  which  he  transferred  to  his  own  person  its  old 
hat  and  trousers. 

He  said  that  although  so  hungry,  he  never  had  felt  so 
happy  as  he  did  at  finding  himself  once  more  "  dressed  up." 
After  proceeding  a  few  miles  farther,  he  ventured  into  a 
laborer's  cottage  in  quest  of  food,  which  was  given  him,  and 
with  it  a  pair  of  old  boots.  As  dilapidated,  ragged,  vagabond- 
looking,  honest  people  are  common  in  England,  no  questions 
were  asked,  and  he  proceeded  on  his  way,  rejoicing  in  that 
freedom  of  which  he  had  been  deprived  for  ten  years  or  more. 

Amidst  all  his  pranks  he  had  never  been  charged  with 
idleness,  and  now  worked  at  odd  jobs  about  the  farms  until 
he  had  procured  a  decent  suit  of  clothes,  when  he  applied  to 
a  master  house-painter  for  work  as  a  journeyman,  though  he 
had  never  done  anything  of  that  kind.  The  master,  pleased 
with  his  appearance,  gave  him  a  trial,  but  the  first  job  showed 
such  ignorance  of  the  art  of  house-painting  that  he  was  forth- 
with discharo^ed  with  a  half  dav's  wages.  However,  he  had 
picked  up  some  valuable  hints,  and  being  very  apt,  by  the 
time  he  had  been  more  or  less  summarily  discharged  from 
half  a  dozen  places,  he  had  become  a  good  workman,  and 
henceforth  had  no  trouble  about  retaining  any  situation  as 
long  as  he  refrained  from  beer  and  restrained  his  temper; 
but  at  the  slightest  fault-finding  on  the  part  of  the  master,  he 
would  fly  into  a  passion  and  throw  up  his  situation,  and  this, 
especially,  if  he  suspected  that  anything  had  leaked  out  about 
his  imprisonment. 

While  at  work  with  a  companion  at  painting  the  interior 
of  a  gentleman's  residence  near  Bradford,  a  word  or  two  was 
dropped  which  made  him  believe  his  fellow-workman  had 
become  aware  of  his  being  an  ex-convict.  Quitting  work,  he 
went  to  a  public  house,  passing  the  rest  of  the  day  in  carous- 
ing. About  midnight,  while  on  his  way  to  his  boarding-house, 
it  occurred  to  him  that  he  had  noticed  a  good  many  valuable 


538  ^    TRIP   TO  AMERICA. 

things  about  the  gentleman's  house  which  he  could  obtain. 
No  sooner  thought  than  done ;  the  entrance  was  in  a  moment 
gained;  he  had  just  consciousness  enough  left  to  gather  a  few 
thino's,  then  lie  down  by  the  side  of  them  and  fall  into  a 
drunkard's  sleep,  in  which  the  servants  found  him  when  they 
came  down  in  the  morning.  A  constable  was  sent  for,  he 
was  given  in  charge,  tried,  convicted  of  the  crime  of  burglary, 
and  sentenced  to  seven  years  penal  servitude. 

His  former  term  of  five  years  had  made  him  a  proficient 
in  all  the  dodges  of  prison  life,  and  he  felt  justified  in  his 
own  mind  in  using  all  his  craft  in  order  to  put  in  his  seven 
years  as  easily  as  possible.  As  he  had  been  in  Eaynell  asy- 
lum, he  knew  that  by  "  putting  on  the  balmy  "  so  as  to  be 
sent  to  the  lunatic  department,  he  would  not  be  subjected  to 
the  prison  rules,  and  be  as  well  off  as  he  had  been  in  the  free 
asylums.  Persistent  attempts  at  suicide  by  cutting  himself 
in  the  arms  and  legs  with  a  piece  of  glass  so  as  to  bleed 
freely,  accomplished  his  purpose.  Being  placed  with  the 
other  convict  lunatics  at  Woking,  he  made  himself  useful  as 
a  gardener,  but  on  account  of  his  bad  temper  and  overbearing, 
quarrelsome  disposition,  obnoxious  to  his  fellow-prisoners. 

However,  when  he  had  served  about  five  years  and  six 
months.  Dr.  Campbell  gave  him  his  remission-marks  and 
sent  him  away,  as  usual  in  such  cases,  to  Dartmoor  prison  a 
month  before  the  time  his  ticket-of-leave  would  be  due.  From 
there  he  was  discharged  with  an  eighteen-months  ticket-of- 
leave,  and  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  as  capital  for  a  "  new 
departure." 

He  went  to  Liverpool,  procured  a  passage  on  board  a 
freight-steamer  to  America,  which  he  paid  for  by  working  at 
painting.  Landing  at  New  York,  he  made  his  way  to  Nor- 
folk, Va.,  where  he  procured  work  as  a  painter.  Owing  to 
his  infirmity  of  temper  he  did  not  keep  his  place  long,  and 
after  knocking  about  for  a  few  months  he  took  a  freak  to 
return  to  England— the  last  place  of  all  for  any  man  who 
has  once  been  in  prison. 


LEAP   FROM  A  FAST  TRAIN.  539 

Once  more  in  his  native  land,  lie  procured  work  without 
difficulty  at  house-painting,  but,  as  usual,  remained  in  one 
place  but  a  very  short  time.  His  earnings,  like  those  of  a 
great  majority  of  the  working  class  in  England,  were  squan- 
dered in  the  public  house  — 

The  glittering  rum-shop's  legal  snare, 
The  children's  curse  and  wives'  despair. 

Soon  after  the  events  just  recorded,  Heep  concluded  to 
visit  his  old  home  in  Macclesfield.  He  accordingly  threw  up 
his  situation,  and  arrived  at  the  railway  station  an  hour  before 
the  train  Avas  due.  In  order  to  while  away  the  time,  he  en- 
tered a  public  house  (as  all  places  retailing  spirits  and  beer 
are  called  in  England),  and  drank  several  glasses  of  ale. 
The  compartment  which  he  entered  happened  to  be  empty, 
and  as  usual  whenever  he  indulged  his  appetite  for  anything 
containing  alcohol,  he  was  soon  quite  out  of  his  mind  and 
fancied  that  some  one  on  the  train  was  coming  to  murder 
him,  and  leaped  headlong  from  the  train,  which  was  going  at 
the  rate  of  forty  miles  an  hour.  This  came  to  a  standstill,  he 
was  taken  on  board  again,  not  seriously  injured,  and  left  at 
Wrexham  in  Denbighshire,  from  which  he  was  sent  to  the 
Denbigh  Insane  asylum.  This  being  a  Welsh  institution, 
did  not,  according  to  Heep,  possess  those  facilities  for  enjoy- 
ing life  which  were  so  liberally  supplied  to  the  inmates  of  the 
Raynell  asylum  near  Liverpool.  Accordingly  he  behaved 
himself  with  so  much  propriety  that  the  doctor  discharged 
him  as  cured. 

Not  long  after  his  return  he  got  work  near  Manchester,  at 
painting  in  a  block  of  new  houses  where  the  plumbers  were 
at  work  putting  in  the  gas  and  water  pipes.  On  a  Saturday, 
when  he  left  work  at  noon,  he  met  a  young  plumber  who  was 
out  of  a  job.  This  man  said  he  knew  where  he  could  earn  a 
sovereign  if  he  had  tools  to  do  a  job  in  a  butcher-shop,  and 
told  Heep  that  if  he  would  go  to  the  houses  where  he  had 
been  painting,  and  borrow  a  few  plumbers'  tools  and  assist 
him,  he  would  divide  the  amount.      Heep  went  back,  but 


540  THE  PLUMBER'S  KNIFE. 

finding  that  the  master  plumber  and  all  his  men  had  gone 
(Satm-day  afternoon  in  England  being  a  half-holiday  for 
laborers),  he  took  the  few  tools  required,  went  and  finished 
the  job  by  7  p.  m.  ;  then  instead  of  taking  the  tools  back,  they 
went  into  a  public  house  where  they  caroused  till  midnight, 
when  they  separated,  Heep  taking  the  tools  to  his  boarding- 
house.  On  Monday  he  started  early,  so  as  to  get  the  tools 
back  before  the  other  workmen  arrived.  On  nearing  the 
houses  he  passed  a  policeman  who  walked  a  little  lame.  He 
turned  his  head  to  look  back,  and  the  policeman  happened  to  do 
the  same  thing,  and  seeing  Heep  looking  at  him  his  suspicions 
were  aroused.  Turning  back,  he  came  up  and  asked  him 
what  he  had  in  the  two  bosses  (tool  baskets).  Heep  informed 
him,  and  on  further  questioning  showed  him  the  key  to  the 
house  from  which  he  had  taken  the  tools,  and  asked  him  to 
accompany  him  there,  which  he  did.  They  entered,  Heep  put 
back  the  tools  and  showed  the  policeman  where  he  had  been 
painting,  and  wished  him  to  stay  until  the  master  came  in 
half  an  hour.  This  the  policeman  declined  to  do,  and  took 
the  tools  and  told  Heep  to  come  to  the  police  station. 

Heep  lost  his  temper,  and  began  cursing  him.  The  police- 
man w^ent  to  the  door,  and  seeing  another  just  passing,  beck- 
oned him  in,  and  the  two  marched  him  to  the  station.  The 
plumber  was  sent  for,  and  was  induced  to  make  a  charge 
against  Heep  and  value  the  stolen  goods  at  ten  shillings. 
Seeing  that  the  police  were  bound  to  make  a  case  against 
him  by  hook  or  crook  (crook,  he  says),  he  seized  the 
plumber's  knife  and  cut  his  throat,  severing  the  wind-pipe. 
The  doctor  was  sent  for,  he  was  transferred  to  the  jail  hos- 
pital, and  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  weeks  was  well 
enough  to  appear  before  the  magistrate,  though  he  could  not 
speak,  and  was  bound  over  for  trial. 

In  the  meantime  the  police  had  discovered  that  he  had 
served  two  penal  terms,  on  the  strength  of  which,  when 
convicted,  the  magistrate  sentenced  him  to  ten  years  penal 
servitude. 


A  PATENT-LEVER  JAW-OPENER.  54;^ 

At  the  trial  he  had  not  yet  recovered  the  use  of  his 
voice,  nor  did  he  have  any  one  to  defend  him,  for  at  that 
time,  milike  the  present,  the  crown  did  not  fm^nish  a  lawyer 
for  the  defense  of  those  who  were  unable  to  employ  one  at 
their  own  expense.  When  the  magistrate  was  about  to  pro- 
nounce the  sentence,  he  said  that  as  the  prisoner  had  escaped 
from  ordinary  asylums  he  should  send  him  to  a  place  from 
which  he  could  not  escape  —  meaning  the  convict  lunatic 
asylum. 

He  was  in  the  next  bed,  confined  in  a  straight-jacket  to 
prevent  him  from  cutting  and  bleeding  himself,  which  he 
managed  to  do  despite  every  precaution.  On  one  occasion, 
when  the  jacket  was  taken  off  for  breakfast,  he  had  torn 
open  a  vein  of  his  arm  with  a  broken  nail ;  on  another  his 
bed  was  found  saturated  with  blood,  a  bit  of  glass  being 
found  at  the  bottom  of  one  of  the  pockets  of  the  straight- 
jacket,  with  which  he  had  managed  to  cut  himself.  All 
this  time  he  refused  to  eat  any  of  his  regular  food  so  that  the 
doctors  were  obliged  to  feed  him.  To  do  this  it  was  neces- 
sary to  lay  the  patient  on  his  back,  and,  in  this  case,  to  in- 
sert the  edges  of  a  patent-lever  jaw-opener  between  the 
molars,  then  by  turning  a  screw  the  levers  opened,  of  course 
forcing  apart  the  jaws  of  the  most  determined  jaw-shutter. 
The  first  time  it  was  applied  to  Heep  he  held  his  jaws 
so  firmly  together  that  one  of  his  teeth  broke  off.  The 
mouth  having  been  forced  wide  open,  a  large  iron  gag 
a  foot  in  length  is  put  across  the  mouth,  and  a  warder 
stands  at  his  head  pressing  down  heavily  on  each  end,  so  as 
to  force  it  down  as  far  as  the  open  jaws  will  let  it  go.  Next 
the  gutta-percha  tube  i-inch  in  diameter  is  inserted  through 
a  hole  in  the  center  of  the  gag  and  pushed  down  into  the 
stomach.  A  funnel  is  attached  to  the  upper  end  of  the  tube 
and  a  quart  of  fluid  food  poured  in;  this  operation  is  usually 
performed  twice  a  day.  I  saw  a  number  of  men  fed  in  that 
way,  one  of  them  named  Jack  Collins  for  fourteen  months, 
during  which  time  he  never  swallowed  any  food. 

The  reader  will,  of  course,  remember  the  prison  character, 


542 


NIBLO    CLARK- S   PETIT.  ON. 


Niblo  Clark.  Since  the  chapter  in  which  he  is  referred  to 
was  written  an  original  petition  of  his,  in  "  prose  and  poe- 
try," has  been  forwarded  to  me.  As  there  is  but  little  in 
this  book  of  a  wholly  humorous  nature,  the  accompanying 
decidedly  "  original "  document  cannot  fail  to  counteract  the 
effect  of  some  of  the  horrors  heretofore  depicted.  The  peti- 
tion is  copied  verhatim  et  literatim : 

Printed  at  H.  ]\r.  Convict  Prison,  I  "N^O     4  1  Sr 

PETITIOlSr. 

Register  No.  Y 19.  Name,  Niblo  Clark. 

Present  Age,  Jfi.  Confined  m  Dartmoor  Prison. 

Date  of  Petition,  January  15,  1876. 


Convicted. 

Ckime. 

Sentence. 

Eemarks. 

When. 
1873. 

Where. 

Old  Bailey, 
London. 

Burglary. 

15  Years. 

In  Hospital. 
Troublesome. 

To  the  Right  Honorable  R.  A.  Cross,  Her  Majesty's  Principal 
Secretary  of  State  for  the  Home  Department. 

The  Petition  of  Niblo  Clark,  a  Prisoner  in  the  Dartmoor  Prison, 
Humbly  Sheweth  — 

The  Right  Honorable  Secretary  the  great  benefit  your  humble 
petitioner  would  derive  by  a  speedy  removal  from  this  damp  and 
foggy  inhospitable  Climate  to  a  milder  one  ;  the  atmostphere  here 
his  thoroughly  prejudicial  to  your  petitioners  health  and  causes  me 
to  be  a  great  Sufferer  i  am  Suffering  from  asthma  accompanied 
with  bad  attacks  of  Chronic  bronchitis  and  have  been  now  3  long 
years  Confined  to  a  bed  of  Sickness  in  a  Sad  and  pitiable  Condition 
and  upon  those  Clear  grounds  and  physical  proofs  your  petitioner 
humbly  prays  that  it  may  please  the  Right  Honorable  Secretary  to 
order  my  removal  to  a  warmer  and  milder  Climate 

necessity  also  compels  me  to  complain  of  repeated  acts  of  injus- 
tice and  Cruely  committed  again  me  and  which  in  some  respects 
Might  Jiistly  undergo  the  imputation  of  ferocity  there  are  numbers 
and  frivolous  and  false  charges  conspired  against  me  and  every 
time  i  am  discharged  from  here  the  Governor  takes  them  Seperate 
one  each  and  trys  to  murder  me  :  i  have  been  No  less  then  Six 
weeks  at  one  time  on  bread  and  Water  accompanied  with  a  little 
penal  Class  and  all  the  officers  are  incouraged  to  practise  all  kinds 


TENNYSON  OUTDONE.  543 

of  barbarious  maltreatment  against  me  and  other  sick  men  —  theres 
is  one  officer  here  place  here  for  the  express  purpose  of  tantelizing 
me  and  other  his  Name  is  Warder  Newcombe  this  officer  sir  has 
barbariously  struck  and  assaulted  patients  on  there  Sick  bed  and 
Several  has  complained  of  it  to  the  Governor  —  But  i  am  Sorry  to 
say  its  greatly  fostered  and  incouraged  especially  upon  me  it  is 
quite  useless  to  complain  of  anything  to  the  Governor 

Right  Honourable  Sir  i  humbly  beg  that  you  will  listen  to  my  woe 
for  what  i  Suffer  in  dartmoor  prison  tiie  one  half  you  do  not  Know 
From  repeated  attacks  of  this  frightful  disease  i  am  getting  worse  each  day 
So  i  humbly  trust  you  will  have  me  removed  without  the  least  delay 

In  making  my  request  in  poetry  Sir  i  hope  you  wont  think  i  am  Joking 

for  the  greatest  favour  you  can  bestowe  upon  me  is  to  Send  me  back  to  Woking 

For  in  this  damp  and  foggy  Climate  its  impossible  to  ever  get  better 

So  i  humbly  trust  in  addition  to  this  you  will  grant  me  a  Special  letter 

Another  little  case  i  wish  to  State  if  you  Sir  will  Kindly  listen 

has  it  would  Cause  a  Vast  amount  of  talk  all  round  and  about  the  prison 

I  mean  if  Niblo  Clark  Should  be  sent  upon  some  public  Works 

it  would  cause  more  talk  then  the  late  dispute  between  the  russians  and  the  turks 

in  foggy  wheather  with  my  disease  it  would  be  impossible  to  larst  one  hour 
and  if  you  doubt  the  accuracy  of  what  1  say  i  refere  to  doctor  Power* 
or  any  other  naval  doctor  or  one  from  ply  mouth  garrison 
they  one  and  all  would  say  the  Same  and  likewise  Doctor  Harrison 

Since  my  reception  in  dartmoor  prison  i  have  been  a  most  unfortunate  man 
and  i  will  tell  you  the  why  and  wherefore  as  well  as  i  possibly  Can 
for  every  time  i  been  in  this  hospital  its  the  whole  truth  what  i  Say 
for  my  medical  treatment  i  assure  Sir  i  have  dearly  had  to  pay 

A  regular  marked  man  i  have  been  for  them  all  its  well  known  to  Captain  Harris 

for  the  list  of  reports  against  me  Avould  reach  from  dartmoor  to  paris 

So  i  humbly  beg  Right  Honourable  Sir  you  will  grant  this  humble  petition 

for  i  am  sorry  to  State  i  have  nothing  to  pay  having  lost  both  health  and  remission 

Such  Cruel  injustice  to  poor  Sick  men  is  far  from  being  just  and  right 

but  to  report  Sick  patients  in  hospital  is  the  officers  Chief  delight 

But  perhaps  kind  Sir  you  might  imagine  that  they  only  do  this  to  a  dodger 

But  its  done  to  all  —  George  Bid  well  as  well  and  likewise  to  poor  Sir  Roger  [Tichborne]. 

like  Savage  lions  in  this  infirmary  the  Officers  about  are  walking 
to  Catch  and  report  a  dying  poor  man  for  the  frivolous  Charge  of  talking 
and  when  we  go  out  from  hospital  our  poor  bodies  they  try  to  Slaughter 
by  taking  those  reports  one  at  the  time  and  Killing  us  on  bread  and  water 

I  am  suffering  a  Chest  and  throat  disease  a  frightful  Chronic  disorder 
and  to  go  out  from  hospital  is  attempting  Suicide  to  get  heaps  of  bread  and  Water 
for  it  is  such  cruel  treatment  made  me  as  i  am  and  brought  me  to  the  Verge  of  the  grave 
So  in  conclusion  Right  Honourable  Sir  a  removal  i  humbly  Crave 

if  this  petition  should  not  be  sent  prisoners  abstains  from  further 
writting  who  will  explain  his  case  more  Clearly  to  the  Visiting 
director  and  i  wish  to  have  this  petition  Submitted  to  the  director 
Signed  Niblo  Clark 


Chapter  L. 


THE  ULTIMATE  FATE  OF  FORGERS — "OLD  PATCH,"  THE  FIRST  BANK  OF  ENGLAND 
FORGER  —  WILKES,  THE  RAILWAY  MAN  —  HE  FIRST  BECOMES  A  GAMBLER,  THEN 
A  FORGER — GEORGE  ENGLES'  FINALE  —  WILSON,  VANDERPOOL,  ^L/./^^  BROCK- 
WAT,  CHARLES  BECKER,  JOE  CHAPMAN,  GEORGE  BELL,  ROBERT  S.  BALLARD, 
THOMAS  BALLARD,  WALTER  SHERIDAN,  FRANK  KIBBE,  LITTLE  ELLIOTT,  W.  H. 
LYMAN,  STEPHEN  RAYMOND,  PERRINE,  DAN  NOBLE,  WILLIAMSON,  ROSENCRANZ, 
ALMS  WISE,  ETC.,  SPENCE  PETTIS,  GEORGE  WATSON,  VAN  ETTEN,  LEWIS  COLE, 
CHARLES   LISTER,    AND   JOHNNY   MILLER,    FORGERS. 

AS  a  fitting  close  to  my  book  I  have  thought  it  best  to 
give  some  account  of  the  fate  of  the  great  modern 
forgers  who  have  obtained  so  many  millions  of  other  people's 
dollars  by  dishonesty.  It  will  be  found  that  these  millions 
have  in  most  cases  been  dissipated  without  having  conferred 
any  benefit — rather  the  reverse  —  on  their  short-sighted  pos- 
sessors. 

I  may,  however,  note  here  that  the  first  Bank  of  England 
forgery  was  in  the  year  1784.  It  was  done  by  "  Old  Patch," 
thus  nicknamed  because  he  wore  a  black  patch  over  one  eye 
as  a  disguise.  He  had  been  a  lottery-office  keeper,  a  stock- 
broker, and  gambler.  To  save  being  hanged  at  Tyburn  he 
hanged  himself  in  Newgate. 

Wilkes,  the  forger,  was  born  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  in 
1837.  At  twenty-seven  he  left  the  employ  of  the  Erie  Rail- 
way Company,  where  he  had  been  seven  years.  It  was  not 
long  after  this  epoch  in  his  life  that  I  became  acquainted  with 
him  through  Hilton,  followed  by  the  abortive  attempt  to  get 
Bowen,  McNamee  &  Co.'s  forged  acceptances  cashed  in  Wall 
Street.  He  made  various  trips  to  England  and  the  Continent 
— once  with  Engles  —  and  not  less  than  one  or  two  millions 
of  dollars  must  have  been  obtained  by  them  in  Europe  from 

(544) 


THE  RIGHT  HONORABLE  HENRY  MATTHEWS,  Q.  C. 

Her  Majesty's  Home  Secretary  of  State,  1&87. 


WILKES,  ENGLES,  ET  AL.  545 

1873  to  1885,  while  we  were  kept  in  prison  as  scarecrows 
to  frighten  them  away. 

George  Engles,  after  squandering  a  million  dollars  or 
more,  died  prematurely,  leaving  his  family  destitute. 

Wilson,  one  of  the  Engles  and  Wilkes  gang,  is  forty-eight 
years  of  age,  and  has  not  long  completed  a  term  of  twelve 
years  in  Canada,  and  by  the  time  these  lines  come  under  the 
reader's  notice,  will  in  all  probability  be  again  in  prison. 

Vanderpool,  alias  Brockway,  is  now  past  sixty-three  years 
of  age.  He  has  served  three  or  more  terms  of  imprisonment ; 
the  last,  which  expired  in  1886,  was  eight  years  for  forgery 
at  Providence,  R.  I. 

Charles  Becker  is,  like  Engles,  a  German.  He  is  an 
expert  engraver,  and  worked  for  Engles,  to  my  knowledge,  as 
far  back  as  1871.  He  tried  to  "beat"  the  Turks,  was  appre- 
henxied  and  sentenced  to  four  years'  imprisonment  at  Smyrna, 
but  not  liking  the  quarters  in  Constantinople  to  which  he 
had  been  consigned,  took  French  leave  after  a  few  months' 
confinement.  Returning  to  America,  he  has  recently  com- 
pleted a  term  of  six  and  one-half  years  in  the  Kings  County 
Penitentiary. 

Joe  Chapman,  who  accompanied  Engles  to  Europe,  was 
arrested  in  London  in  1878,  and  served  a  five-years'  term  in 
England.  After  serving  several  terms  previously,  he  was  not 
long  since,  and  may  be  still,  in  prison  at  Munich,  Bavaria,  for 
passing  Engies's  forged  paper  on  bankers. 

George  Bell  is  forty-two  years  of  age ;  also  a  "  layer- 
down"  of  forged  paper.  Bell  has  served  several  terms  in 
various  prisons,  and  is  now  near  the  completion  of  a  ten- 
years'  sentence  in  the  Maryland  state  prison. 

Robert  S.  Ballard,  fifty-one  years  of  age,  a  physician  by 
profession,  a  forger  and  bigamist  by  practice,  has  recently 
completed  a  term  in  prison. 

Thomas  Ballard  was  sentenced  by  a  United  States  court 
to  serve  twenty  years  for  forgery  of  United  States  bonds. 
After  the  expiration  of  thirteen  and  a  half  years,  he  was 
35 


546  ^   SELECT  PARTY 

pardoned  by  President  Cleveland  in  1887  (about  the  time 
when  I  came  home  from  England). 

Walter  Sheridan  was  arrested  in  1858  for  robbing  a  bank 
in  Chicago,  111. ;  also  in  Toledo,  1869,  for  robbing  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Springfield,  111.,  but  was  acquitted  for  want 
of  proof.  In  1870  he  was  implicated  in  the  robbery  of  the 
Maryland  Insurance  Company,  Baltimore,  and  of  the  Me- 
chanics Bank,  of  Scranton,  Pa.  In  1873  he  defraude;d  the 
New  York  Indemnity  and  Warehouse  Company  of  i84,000, 
with  which  he  made  good  his  escape  to  Europe,  taking  f  200,- 
000  of  forged  bonds  which  were  stolen  from  him  by  another 
"crook."  Returning  to  New  York,  Sheridan  was  sent  to 
Sing  Sing  in  1877,  for  five  years.  Soon  after  his  term  had 
expired,  he  was  arrested  in  Philadelphia  and  sent  for  a  term 
of  three  years  to  the  Eastern  Penitentiary.  His  term  expired 
in  1884,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year  he  was  again 
arrested,  in  St.  Louis,  and  sentenced  to  two  years  in  State 
prison. 

Little  Elliott  is  thirty-three  years  of  age.  He  went  to 
Turkey  with  Becker  and  Chapman,  was  sentenced  at  the 
same  time  with  them  to  three  and  one-half  years,  an(^ 
escaped  after  some  months  imprisonment.  He  is  now  serv- 
ing a  term  of  eighteen  years  for  forgery  on  the  Flour  City 
Bank,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.  It  was  Engles  or  Wilkes  who 
prepared  the  forged  paper  presented  by  him  to  that  and  other 
banks. 

W.  H.  Lyman,  a  notorious  forger,  died  in  the  Charles- 
town,  Mass.,  prison  in  1883,  just  before  the  expiration  of  his 
sentence. 

Stephen  Raymond  is  fifty-six  years  of  age,  and  after  serv- 
ing several  terms  for  forgery,  was  sentenced  in  New  York 
city  to  imprisonment  for  life. 

Williamson,  or  Perrine,  is  forty-five  years  of  age.  He 
acted  as  "  layer-down,"  or  presenter  of  papers  forged  by 
Engles  and  others,  and  succeeded  in  getting  large  amounts 
of  such  papers  cashed,  but  was  finally  arrested  and  sent  to 


OF  NOTORIOUS   CRIMINALS.  547 

Sing  Sing  for  fifteen  years.  He  escaped  from  that  institution 
in  1877,  and  went  to  London  with  Engles,  w^here,  for  present- 
ing forged  paper  to  the  London  and  County  Bank,  he  was 
convicted  and  sentenced  for  ten  years.  By  giving  evidence 
against  others  of  the  Engles  party,  he  was  released  in  1883, 
after  serving  about  four  years,  and  returned  to  New  York. 

Dan  Noble  is  now  serving  out  a  twenty  years'  sentence 
for  presenting  paper  forged  by  Engles  on  a  London  bank. 

Williamson  is  at  present  in  the  Missouri  state  prison, 
serving  a  sentence  of  ten  years  for  presenting  in  1885  to  the 
St.  Louis  National  Bank  forged  checks  prepared  by  Engles. 

Wise,  or  Rosencranz,  is  forty-five  years  old.  He  has  been 
engaged  since  1869  in  presenting  paper  forged  by  Engles. 
He  has  served  several  terms,  and  has  recently  completed  five 
years  in  Auburn  state  prison. 

Spence  Pettis,  a  well  known  New  York  layer-down,  after 
serving  several  terms,  ended  his  career  in  Charlestown  prison, 
Mass.,  by  hanging  himself  from  the  bars  of  his  cell  door  in 
1874. 

George  Watson,  after  ruining  his  constitution  by  dissipa- 
tion, died  while.serving  out  a  sentence  for  forgery. 

Van  Etten,  in  1871,  received  a  sentence  of  ten  years  for 
presenting  a  forged  check  to  the  Park  National  Bank,  N.  Y. 
He  was  pardoned,  and  while  being  taken  to  San  Francisco  to 
answer  another  charge  of  forgery  he  killed  himself  on  the 
train  by  taking  a  dose  of  narcotics,  which  he  by  some  means 
obtained. 

Lewis  Cole,  after  serving  several  terms,  when  he  was  on 
the  point  of  being  again  arrested,  shot  and  killed  himself 
with  a  revolver. 

Charles  Lister,  who  went  to  England  in  1877  with  Dan' 
Noble,  is  now  about  completing  a  fifteen  years  term  there^ 
if  he  is  alive. 

Johnny  Miller  was  arrested  on  information  given  by  Lis- 
ter, and  is  now  serving  a  term  of  twenty  years  in  England. 

I   have  always  been  under  the   impression   that   Frank 


548  ^  PRISON  DIRECTOR'S  DISCOVERY. 

Kibbe,  like  Engles,  would  keep  out  of  prison  —  both  being 
super-extra  cowards. 

Since  the  preceding  pages  were  written  it  has  come  to  my 
knowledge  that  Frank  Kibbe  served  a  term  in  Cherry  Hill 
Penitentiary,  Philadelphia. 

The  following  letter  is  from  a  prominent  citizen  of  the 
State  of  Connecticut,  it  being  one  of  several  received  by  me 

on  the  same  subject: 

,  Conn.,  May  29,  1888. 

Mr.  Bidwell  : 

Sir,  — Yours  of  the  14th  inst.  duly  received.  I  have  deferred  a 
reply  hoping  to  learn  something  of  Frank's  present  whereabouts, 
but  have  failed.  In  1874  I  was  associated  with  Judge  H.  H. 
Barbour,  of  Hartford  (now  deceased),  as  State  Prison  Director. 
The  Judge  took  a  deep  interest  in  prison  reform,  and  at  his 
request  we  visited  several  States.  It  occurred  to  me  that  I  might 
run  across  Frank,  who  had  been  missing  for  some  years,  and  who, 
in  my  opinion,  was  a  proper  subject  for  confinement.  At  Phila- 
delphia, after  going  through  the  prison,  looking  at  the  records,  etc., 
the  warden  told  me  there  were  two  Eastern  fellows  confined  there 
for  six  years  (four  of  which  had  passed)  —  for  swindhng.  if  I  am 
not  mistaken.  Their  assumed  names  I  cannot  recall.  I  gave  a 
description  of  Prank.  The  deputy  said  at  once,  "  That  is  Kibbe." 
He  had  written  to  his  wife,  thus  exposing  his  true  name.  The 
warden  said,  ''  Perhaps  he  would  like  to  see  you  "  —  and  we  went  to 
his  cell.  I  remained  a  few  feet  back.  My  name  was  given  him, 
and  in  his  quick  way  he  said,  ''No,  no,  I  don't  know  any  such 
man."     That  was  the  last  time  I  heard   Frank's  voice  —  is  all  I 

know  of  him 

Yours, . 

Kibbe  had  previously  been  twice  arrested  in  Philadelphia, 
but  had  on  both  occasions  been  let  off  by  paying  for  the 
swindled  goods. 

During  his  incarceration  his  wife,  also  a  native  of  New 
England,  visited  him.  She  bore  an  excellent  character,  was 
driven  mad  by  her  husband's  conduct,  and  died  in  a  lunatic 
asylum  in  the  vicinity  of  her  native  place  before  the  expir- 
ation of  his  term.     After  being  discharged,  this  man  who  had 


THE   END    OF  FRANK  KIBBE.  549 

for  years  squandered  large  sums  in  high  living  —  this  exqui- 
site, formerly  decked  out  in  magnificent  style  with  diamonds 
flashing,  became  a  common  beggar,  tramp,  and  vagabond. 

A  gentleman  who  knew  Kibbe  from  childhood,  at  the  time 
a  merchant  in  Philadelphia,  living  at  the  Continental  Hotel, 
said  to  me  lately  :  "  One  evening  I  was  standing  in  the  office 
when  a  seedy-looking  man  came  along  and  held  out  his  hand. 
I  paid  no  attention,  but  observed  that  he  continued  the  round 
of  the  place,  then  returning,  stopped  in  front  of  me  and 
asked : 

"  '  Don't  you  know  me,  James  ? ' 

"I  replied:  'No.' 

'' '  Have  you  forgotten  Frank  Kibbe  ? '  he  queried." 

My  informant  now  recognized  him,  and  was  told  some  par- 
ticulars about  his  imprisonment  —  that  he  had  been  discharged 
some  weeks  previously  and  had  since  been  begging,  etc.,  etc. 
The  gentleman  handed  him  ten  dollars  on  condition  that  he 
should  trouble  him  no  more. 

For  about  nine  months  after  the  above  event  Kibbe  was 
cadging  about  Philadelphia,  then  disappeared  —  probably  got 
into  prison  again,  or  died  in  some  hospital. 

I  might  add  to  the  list  enough  names  to  fill  a  large  book, 
without  exhausting  the  supply. 

Despite  all  the  examples  on  record,  proving  the  sad  results 
which  sooner  or  later  invariably  follow  wrong-doing,  forgeries, 
defalcations,  and  frauds  committed  by  men  in  good  positions, 
are  now  of  daily  occurrence.  I  have  not  space  here  to  enter 
into  an  examination  of  the  causes  of  this  terrible  fact.  For 
every  case  that  comes  to  li2:ht  there  are  doubtless  a  hundred 
which  are  hushed  up  by  intercession  of  employers  or  friends. 

As  any  person  advances,  step  by  step,  along  the  seem- 
ingly flowery  path  which  leads  him  first  to  association,  then 
into  confederacy  with  "crooks,"  he  in  the  same  ratio  acquires 
those  prodigal  and  loose  habits  which  cause  him  to  squander 
his  ill-gotten  gains  in  ways  which  leave  him  in  a  few  years  a 
wreck  in  mind,  body,  and  estate. 


Chapter  LI. 


FAC-S5MILE  OF  AN  ORDINARY  TICKET-OF-LEAVE  —  REQUIREMENTS  AND  REGULATIONS 
PRINTED  ON  ITS  BACK  —  THE  "TICKET  OF  LEAVE"  MAN  —  PRISONERS'  AID 
SOCIETY  —  PRISONERS'  OPINIONS  OF  THAT  SOCIETY  —  NO  CHANCE  FOR  EX-CON- 
VICTS IN  ENGLAND  —  HOW  PRISON  GRATUITY  MONEY  IS  USED  —  BUYING  A  NEW 
SXJiT  —  PRISONS  THE  BEST  HOMES  MANY  EVER  HAD  —  EX-CONVICTS  BLACK- 
MAILED—  WELCH,  "THE  TRUSS  OF  STRAW,"  AND  PARKER,  "  MODEL  "  LONDON 
DETECTIVES  —  BY  PERJURY  THEY  GET  PIPER  AND  SHAW  FOURTEEN  YEARS  — 
PARKER  ARRESTED  AND  THE  TRUTH  BECOMES  KNOWN  —  PIPER  AND  SHAW  DIS- 
CHARGED AFTER  SERVING  EIGHTEEN  MONTHS  OF  THE  FOURTEEN  YEARS  —  PIPER 
LEAPS  FROM  LONDON  BRIDGE  —  GETS  £100  DAMAGES  FOR  WRONGFUL  IMPRISON- 
MENT —  THE  RIGHT  HONORABLE  HENRY  MATTHEWS —  CONCLUSION, 

THOUSANDS  of  people  have  attended  the  play  entitled 
the  "  Ticket-of-leave  Man,"  and  have  shown  deep  inter- 
est m  the  fate  of  one  so  placed,  though  only  a  fictitious 
representation  of  what  I  actually  am  at  the  present  moment 
— '-  a  genuine  ticket-of-leave  man. 

During  my  imprisonment  1  had  opportunities  of  hearing 
what  a  large  number  of  men  had  to  say,  who  had  been  out  on 
tickets-of-leave,  some  of  them  several  times.  A  small  gratu- 
ity is  allowed  to  each  prisoner  upon  his  discharge,  but  this  is 
not  given  into  his  possession  all  at  once.  In  case  he  goes 
to  the  "  Prisoners'  Aid  Society,"  it  is  sent  by  the  warder  who 
accompanies  him  to  the  place  of  his  conviction.  If  London, 
the  ticket-of-leave  man  is  taken  to  the  society's  office  and  his 
gratuity  handed  over  to  its  manager.  If  his  destination  is 
elsewhere  in  England  the  gratuity  is  left  with  the  local  agent 
of  the  society.  In  either  case  the  ticket-of-leave  man  receives 
a  half-a-crown  (thirty  cents)  per  day  so  long  as  any  of  the 
gratuity  money  is  left.  In  case  work  is  not  obtained  by  that 
time  he  is  turned  adrift,  at  least  I  was  so  informed  by  pris- 
oners who  had  been  thus  treated.     The  general  impression 

(550) 


TOM   TAYLORS   DRAMA   NOT  FROM  LIFE.  55^ 

among  the  prisoners  who  have  had  experience  with  the  society 
is  that  it  is  conducted  in  the  interest  of  those  who  draw 
salaries  from  its  funds. 

"  They  pretend  to  furnish  work  or  get  us  into  situations,'* 
said  one  to  me,  "  and  I  was  given  a  basket  of  oranges,  pur- 
chased with  a  part  of  my  gratuity  money,  and  told  to  go  and 
hawk  them  through  the  streets.  Finding  they  did  not 
'hawk,' or  that  I  did  not  understand  the  business  sufficiently, 
and  as  the  society  could  or  would  get  me  no  other  situation — 
my  gratuity  being  all  gone — I  found  I  must  go  hungry  or 
steal.     Well,  1  stole,  and  am  here  doing  another  '  lagging.' " 

Two  or  three  months  before  the  expiration  of  his  term,  or 
the  date  he  is  to  be  freed  on  a  ticket-of-leave,  the  convict 
must  inform  the  governor  if  he  wishes  to  join  the  Prisoners' 
Aid  Society.  In  case  he  has  "  done  "  above  a  five  years  term, 
and  by  good  conduct  has  been  promoted  to  the  special  or 
blue-dress  class,  he  is  entitled  to  an  extra  gratuity  of  £2  from 
the  society.  This  is  a  substantial  benefit,  as  in  many  cases, 
added  to  the  prison  gratuity,  it  enables  the  society  to  send 
him  out  as  an  emigrant  to  one  of  the  colonies  where  he  can 
have  a  fair  chance  to  begin  an  honest  life  —  it  being  hardly 
possible  for  an  ex-convict  to  have  it  in  England.  I  have 
heard  a  number  of  prisoners  relate  their  experiences  while  in 
search  of  honest  employment. 

In  Tom  Taylor's  drama,  the  ticket-of-leave  man  is  perse- 
cuted by  his  former  companions,  who  attempt  by  every  artifice 
to  force  him  back  into  crime.  Now,  in  so  far  as  my  experi- 
ence enables  me  to  judge,  this  picture  is  not  drawn  from  life. 
Professionals  are  fully  aware  of  the  risks  they  run,  and  never 
as  a  rule  attempt  any  unfair  means  to  induce  each  other  to 
take  part  in  crime. 

"  Do  you  continue  to  wear  the  clothes  furnished  by  the 
prison  authorities  ?  "  I  asked  on  more  than  one  occasion. 

''  No,"  was  the  reply  of  one,  "  I  got  out  of  them  as  soon 
as  possible.  When  I  went  up  to  London  after  my  last 
'  lagging,'  there  were  four  of  us  who  went  to  the  society.     All 


552  THE  HATED  MONTHLY  REPORT. 

of  lis  wished  to  exchange  our  clothes  for  better,  and  an  agent 
of  the  society  took  us  to  a  Jew  clothes-dealer,  and,  as  the 
society  had  our  money,  we  were  obliged  to  take  new  suits  at 
the  Jew's  own  price  —  he  allowing  but  a  trifle  for  the  suits 
we  had  worn  from  prison.  1  felt  pretty  certain  that  the  agent 
had  a  share  in  that  job." 

Of  course  I  vouch  for  none  of  this,  but  where  there  is 
smoke  there  must  be  some  fire. 

The  ticket-of-leave  man  must  report  in  person  at  the  police 
headquarters  of  the  place  he  lives  in  once  a  month ;  by  failing 
to  do  so  he  renders  himself  liable  to  be  taken  back  to  prison 
to  serve  the  remainder  of  his  time.  He  must  leave  his 
address,  and  if  he  changes  his  residence,  must  notify  the 
police  so  that  they  can  find  him  at  any  time  in  case  he  should 
be  ""  wanted  ". 

The  accompanying  illustration  will  give  an  idea  of  the 
"hang-dog"  feeling  it  gives  one  who  has  not  become  thor- 
oughly hardened,  in  being  thus  obliged  to  "  show  up "  at 
police-headquarters  each  month.  Indeed,  I  have  had  a  num- 
ber of  men  tell  me  that  they  preferred  to  "  do"  the  whole  of 
their  time  rather  than  be  out  under  the  surveillance  of 
the  police  and  obliged  to  report  themselves  monthly.  This 
police  supervision  can  be  escaped  only  by  emigration,  some 
actually  conducting  themselves  so  as  to  lose  their  remission 
and  serve  their  whole  term. 

I  knew  one  who,  on  the  morning  he  was  to  go  home  after 
serving  his  term  of  ten  years,  refused  to  put  on  citizen's 
clothes,  resisting  the  officers  who  put  him  into  them  by 
force.  This  class  of  men,  of  whom  I  have  seen  hundreds, 
know  that  the  only  comparative  comfort  they  have  had 
from  their  birth  has  been  while  in  jail  or  prison.  With 
them  it  has  been  the  ever  recurring  "  move  on  "  of  the  bob- 
bies or  peelers,  as  they  call  policemen,  and  the  general 
wretchedness  of  their  lives  while  free  may  be  only  faintly 
imagined  from  a  due  consideration  of  the  above  fact. 

I  have  had  a  good  many  tell  me  how  they  had  been  fol- 


"^  PRETTY  pair:'  553 

lowed  by  so-called  detectives,  when  in  a  situation,  and  black- 
mailed, or  if  they  refused  to  submit  to  that  "  tax "  were 
denounced  to  their  masters  and  discharged  to  find  other 
work  or  steal.  In  other  cases  charges  were  trumped  up 
against  them,  and  they  were  sent  back  to  prison  by  perjury. 
At  present  detectives  or  policemen  who  do  such  dirty  work 
risk  imprisonment.  A  detective  in  London  had  acquired  the 
sobriquet  of  "  Truss  of  straw "  from  the  following  circum- 
stance: One  day  he  saw  a  child  some  four  years  of  age 
toddling  along  the  street.  Soon  the  little  one's  attention 
was  attracted  by  a  small  truss  of  straw  at  the  door  of  a  shop, 
which  it  managed  to  take  in  its  arms  and  toddle  on.  Such 
an  opportunity  for  fame  and  promotion  must  not  be  missed ; 
the  detective  arrested  the  child  and  took  him  before  a  magis- 
trate, who,  laughing  at  the  zealous  guardian  of  the  public, 
conferred  upon  him  the  above  title,  which  stuck  to  him 
through  life,  though  his  name  was  Welch.  This  "  Truss  of 
straw "  had  a  partner  named  Parker,  another  detective. 
These  precious  specimens  of  justice's  aids  made  a  regular 
business  of  robbing  thieves  of  their  ill-gotten  gains,  by  threat- 
ening to  "  run  them  in,"  or  in  black-mailing  ex-convicts  who 
were  trying  to  earn  an  honest  living.  These  detectives  failing 
to  get  their  demands  acceded  to  by  two  men.  Piper  and  Shaw, 
arrested  them  on  a  charge  of  robbery.  On  their  own  testi- 
mony, aided  by  that  of  the  person  who  had  been  robbed  — 
whom  they  had  induced,  by  methods  elsewhere  described,  to 
believe  that  these  were  really  the  men  who  had  robbed  him  — 
both  the  accused  were  sentenced  to  fourteen  years  penal 
servitude  each.  A  year  and  a  half  later  Parker  was  hauled 
before  a  magistrate  for  complicity  in  some  fraud,  and  the 
moment  he  was  arrested  Welch  "  went  back  on  him." 
Parker  got  out  of  the  scrape  with  being  expelled  from 
the  force,  and  wanted  to  continue  sharing  Welch's  illicit 
gains;  but  refusing  to  do  so,  Parker  to  revenge  himself, 
exposed  the  plot  by  which  Piper  and  Shaw  had  been  con- 
victed, and  these  were  set  at  liberty.     Piper  had  determined 


554  TICHBORNE  IMPRISONED  AS  "  THOMAS  CASTRO.'' 

to  earn  an  honest  living,  but  failing  to  obtain  employment, 
and  reduced  to  the  point  of  starvation,  he  threw  himself  over 
London  Bridge,  but  was  rescued  and  taken  before  a  magis- 
trate on  the  charge  of  attempted  suicide,  which  crime  is 
severely  punished  in  England.  To  exonerate  himself  he 
told  in  open  court  the  story  of  his  fourteen  years'  sentence, 
out  of  which  he  had  served  eighteen  months  at  Chatham. 
The  magistrate  had  Shaw  hunted  up,  and  having  ascertained 
the  truth  of  Piper's  statement,  ordered  that  they  should  be 
paid  one  hundred  pounds  each,  that  being  the  largest  sum 
the  law  put  it  in  his  power  to  award  in  such  a  case.  I  had 
the  foregoing  account  from  an  intelligent  prisoner  who  was  ac- 
quainted with  the  men  and  had  heard  it  from  their  own  lips, 
which  corroborated  what  I  had  learned  about  it  from  other 
sources. 

The  ticket-of-leave  and  other  documents,  in  the  name  of 
"  Castro,"  accompanying  this  chapter  are  fac-similes  of  the 
originals  given  to  Sir  Roger  C.  D.  Tichborne,  the  world- 
famed  "  Claimant,"  on  his  discharge  from  Portsmouth  prison, 
after  serving  a  term  of  fourteen  years.  He  was  at  Dartmoor 
prison  during  a  portion  of  the  time  I  was  there.  These  docu- 
ments are  the  same  as  are  given  in  all  cases,  except  where 
the  sentence  is  for  "  life,"  as  in  my  case.  All  others  or 
tickets  referring  to  a  limited  term  of  imprisonment,  are  not 
signed  by  the  Home  Secretary,  as  is  the  "  ticket-of-leave  "  at 
the  commencement  of  this  book.  That  is  a  fac-simile  of  the 
one  given  to  me  by  the  warder  who  accompanied  me  to  Liver- 
pool, after  he  had  placed  me  safely  on  board  the  steamship 
Wisconsin,  as  described  in  the  "  explanatory  "  chapter.  It  is 
signed  by  the  Right  Honorable  Henry  Matthews,  Q.  C,  Her 
Majesty's  Secretary  for  Home. 

Previous  to  accepting  the  eminent  office  which  he  holds  at 
the  time  of  this  writing,  Mr.  Matthews  had  been  a  bar- 
rister of  high  standing  and  great  ability.  He  was  born  in 
Ceylon  in  1826,  and  educated  partly  on  the  Continent,  partly 
in  England,  having  graduated  at  the  University  of  Paris  as 


NOTICE  SERVED  BEFORE  RELEASE.  555 

bachelor  of  arts,  and  in  1849  from  the  University  of  London, 
LL.B.,  carrying  off  the  University  law  scholarship  of  c£50 
a  year  for  three  years.  As  some  of  my  readers  may  wish  to 
see  the  shadow  of  the  man  whose  name  appears  on  my  ticket- 
of-leave,  I  have  inserted  his  portrait. 


METROPOLITAN    POLICE    DISTRICT}  ^^°' '' 


r:;%it?^^<yL^^ .  ^^^z^a^^ 


To — Cy/'^^T^^'/^Tl.'iPi^     -'^^^Z^C'-tyz^ ,  a  Convict  ahoxU  to  he  liberated 

on  License,  or  a  Person  subject  to  the  Superoision  of  the  Police. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  Freveniion  of  Crimes  Acts  1871-9,  you  are  required 
to  report  yourself  personally  to  the  Chief  Officer  of  Police  of  the  District  in 
which  you  reside,  or  to  a  Constable,  or  person  appointed  by  hitn. 

TAKE  NOTICE.  THEREFOTIE,  that  I,  the  undei-signed,  the 
Commi<;sioner  of  Police  of  the  Metropolis,  being  the  Chief  Officer  of  Police 
of  the  Metropolitan  Police  District,  have  appointed  the  Constable  in  charge 
of  the  Convict  Office,  Great  Scotland  Yard,  to  recei-ve  your  declaration  of 
residence  on  liberation,  and  1  require  you  to  report  yourself  to  Kirn 
pei-sonally  within  48  hours  thereof,  at  that  Office. 

[f  you  neglect  So  to  do  within  48  hours  of  thf  said  liberation,  you 
are  liable  to  have  your  license  forfeited  or  to  be  sentenced  to  twelve 
months"  irnprisonnient  wiiTi  hard  labour. 


Meltopditan  Police  Office, 

2/f^ayof      ^^^^^S^^ISS^  [oyer.] 


The  day  before  a  convict  is  to  be  released  he  is  removed 
to  the  Millbank  prison,  London,  where  the  above  notice  is 
served  on  him  by  a  clerk  from  the  Metropolitan  Police  Head- 
quarters. ' 


^^Q  TJCHBORNE'S   TJCKET-OF-LEAVE. 

No.  800.  (No.  2.) 

METROPOLITAN    POLICE    DISTRICT 


fktThui^^  C4y.e/CCZ        yU?        a 


To        JM  hy/^^^    L^s^r/U^^  yUy^        a  Convict  liberated 

on  License,  or  a  person  subject  to  the  Supervision  of  the  Police. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  Prevention  of  Crimes  Acts,  1871  and  1879,  you 
are  required  to  report  your  mtrt/  into  and  removal  from  a  Police  District 
to  the  Chief  Officer  of  Police  of  the  said  District,  or  to  such  other 
person  as  he  may  appoint,  and  so  long  as  you  remain  in  the  District  you 
must  report  youiself  personalli/,  once  a  month,  at  such  time  as  may  be 
prescribed  by  the  Chief  Officer ;  and  any  change  of  address  within  the  said 
district  must  be  declared  in  like  manner. 

TAKE  NOTICE,    THEREFORE,    that    I,    the     undersigned,    the 
Commissioner  of  Police  of  the  Metropolis,  being  the  Chief  Officer  of  Police 
of    tlie  Metropolitan    Police   District,    require    that    you  report    your-self 
personally,  to  the  Constable  in  charge  of  ^  /h*^  C*^'%>Ot>€iC>'  ^jft  *C« 
¥ii]iifi  y>iiiiiirr   ^^(^^^f^fC'i^'KA^  2x>^iiiliu6iimiii  Lliii.^  lIil  ULU1uu>i 

<lliniii^iiHi>"'» 'mill    "11 "     'II'       ^"        .— .^^il^.^— ^ 

^9^^^    ^f'tr^  of  each  month  end  any  change  of  residence  sliall 

likewise  be  declared  to  the  said  Constnble  2">or  to  your  removal. 

The    Penalty    for     neglecting     to    do   as    above     directed,   or    for 

leaving  the    District  without  declaring    your  intention    so   to  do,  is    the 

p  ■ 
forfeiture  of  your  License,  or  Twelve  Months'  imprisonment   with  Hard 

Labour. 


^-Z^ 


Metr>pol^n  Police  Office, 

JLzlday  of-S^!^^^^^^C^ 

•^-      If  vou  l.iive  U.e  Dittncl  aud  ag».u  .e(»rn  to  it  you  mnst  •.mruKluil.ly  rrporl  such  rclnrii  e.thfr  «l 
l^^Coi  Office.  Gre»l  Sc«Uui.a  Vwd.  or  .WiUe  PoUce  SuUou.n«<u«t  to  ywur  pUr,  of  ibed* 

fOVF.B, 


NOTICE    TO  SIR  R.  C.  D    TICHBORNE,  BART.  ^^'j 


rOEM^38c. 


HANTS    CONSTABULARY, 

Notice  to  le  served  on  License  Holder  number         (  A,-,.       '  f  3  O 

34,  35  Vic,  cap.  112. 
Section  5. — Every  holder  of  a  license  granted  under  the  Penal 
Servitude  Acts  who  is  at  large  in  great  Britain  or  Ireland  shall  notify  the 
place  of  his  residence  to  the  chief  ofiBcer  of  police  of  the  district  ia 
which  his  residence  is  situated,  and  shall,  whenever  he  changes  such  residence 
within  the  same  poUce  distnct,  notify  such  change  to  the  chief  officer  of 
police  of  that  district,  and  whenever  he  changes  his  residence  from  one 
pohce  district  to  another  shall  notify  such  change  of  residence  to  the 
thief  officer  of  police  of  the  pohce  distnct  which  he  is  leaving,  and  to  the 
chief  officer. of  police  of  the  police  district  into  which  he  goes  to  reside; 
moreover,  every  male  holder  of  such  a  license  as  aforesaid  shall,  once  in  f 
each  month,  report  himself  at  such  time  as  may  be  prescribed  by  the  chief 
officer  of  police  of  the  distnct  in  which  such  holder  may  be,  either  to  such 
chief  officer  himself  or  to  such  other  person  as  that  officer  may  direct,  and 
Euch  report  may,  according  as  such  chief  officer  directs,  be  required  to  be 
made  personally  or  by  letter. 

If  any  holder  of  a  license  who  is  at  large  in  Great  Britain  or  Ireland, 
remains  in  any  place  for  forty-eight  hours  without  notifying  the  place  of  his 
residence  to  the  chief  officer  of  police  of  the  distnct  m  which  such  place  is 
situated,  or  fails  to  comply  with  the  requisitions  of  this  section  on  the 
occasion  of  any  change  of  residence,  or  with  the  requisitions  of  this  section 
■as  to  reporting  himself  once  in  each  month,  he  shall  in  every  such  case, 
unless  he  proves  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  eourt  before  whom  he  is  tned  that 
he  did  his  best  to  act  in  conformity  with  the  law,  be  guilty  of  an  offence 
against  this  Act,  and  upon  conviction  thereof  his  license  may  in  the  discre- 
tion of  the  court  be  forfeited ;  or,  if  the  term  of  penal  servitude  in  respecl 
of  which  his  license  was  granted  has  expired  at  the  date  of  his  conviction,  it 
shall  be  lawful  for  the  court  to  sentence  him  to  impnsonment,  with  or  without 
hard  labour,  for  a  term  not  exceeding  one  year,  or  if  the  said  term  of  penaJ 
servitude  has  not  expired,  but  the  remainder  unexpired  thereof  is  a  lesser 
period  than  one  year,  then  to  sentence  him  to  imprisonment,  with  or  without 
hard  labour,  to  commence  at  the  expiration  of  the  said  term  of  penal 
servitude,  for  such  a  term  as,  together  with  the  remainder  unexpired  of  bis 
said  term  of  penal  servitude,  wiU  not  exceed  one  year. 

By>.vir^gof  the  above  I  hereby  direct  you  to  report 
yourself  \w-Y%nn^\\y  on  the  first  Monday  in  each  month  to  the 
(/^Zct><.  *^'*^<«i.-<^  of  the  Hants  Constabulary,  at  the 

Police  Station  at     .^^^^^^^l^c^ 


Chief.  Constable  of  Hajrl*, 


^^g  BACK   OF  TICKET-OF-LEAVE. 

TBIS  LICENCE  WILL  BE  FORFEITED  IF  THE  BOLDER  DOES  NOT 
^OBSERVE  THE  FOLLOWING  CONDITIONS, 


CONDITIONS. 

1.  The  Holder  shall  preserve  his  Licence,  and  prodoce  it  when  called  apon  to  do  so  by  a  Magistrate  or  Police  OfBiaer. 

2.  He  shall  abstain  from  ailj  violation  of  the  Law. 

S.  He  shall  not  habitually  associate  with  notoriously  bad  Characters,  such  as  repntod  Thiores  and  Proefitules, 

4.  He  shall  not  lead  an  idle  and  dissolute  Life,  without  risible  means  of  obtaining  an  honest  Livelihood. 

If  his  licence  is  forfeited  or  revoked  in  consequence  of  a  Conriction  for  any  Offence,  he  will  be  liable  to  undergo  ^— 

itcimTf  Prnnl  Servitude  "iir'  *"  'I  n  |iiii>iiiii  jj"  liki  In f  .       yinrg  irhial^JMBaiaMJ  unuapiiul  hLuu  ttil  ' 

Iiirnnrw  mrn  Qniiiilinl Ilin  TPirni  nf  yC  ^ .r*-^^..,..^;.,^^  r/^^  -^/^ 

Thu  -attention  of  the  Licence-holder  is  directed  ia  the  following  provisions  of  "  The  Prevention  of 

Crimes  Acts,  1871  unai  1879." 

If  it  appears  from  the  facts  proved  before  a  court  of  summary  jurisdiction  that  there  are  reasonable  grounds  lor 
'believing  that  fhe  convict  so  brought  before  it  is  getting  his  Uvehhood  by  dishonest  means,  such  convict  shall  ba 
deeooed  to  bo  guUty  of  an  offence  sgamst  die  Prevention  of  Grumes  Act,  and  his  licence  shall  be  forfeited. 

Every  bolder  of  a  licence  granted  under  the  Penal  Serritnde  Acts  who  is  at  large  in  Great  Britain  or  Ireland,  shall 
Urithin  48  hours  of  his  liberation  personally  notify  tht  place  of  hi*  residence  to  the  chief  oficer  of  police  of  the  dittriet 
in  which  his  residence  is  sitnated,  or  to  a  constable  or  person  appointed  by  him,  and  shall,  whenever  he  changes  »ueh 
rtfidenee  withia  the  same  police  district,  notify  such  change  to  the  chief  officer  of  police  of  that  district,  or  to  a  constable 
or  person  appointed  by  him,  and  tchenever  he  changes  his  yesidence  from  one  police  district  to  another,  shall  personally 
notify  such  change  of  residence  to  the  chief  officer  of  police  of  the  police  district  which  he  is  leaving,  or  to  a  constable 
or  person  appointed  by  him,  and  to  the  chief  officer  of  police  of  the  police  district  into  which  he  goes  to  reside,  or  to  a 
aonstable  or  person  appointed  by  bim  ;  moreover,  every  male  bolder  of  such  a  Licence  as  aforesaid  shall,  once  in  each 
tnonth,  report  -AifTise// personally  ai  such  time  as  may  be  prescribed  by  the  chief  officer  of  poLce  of  the  district  in  which  Ecch 
bolder  may  be,  either  to  eucb  chief  officer  himself  or  to  such  other  person  as  that  Officer  may  direct,  and  such  report 
may,  according  aa  such  chief  officer  directs,  be  required  to  be  made  personally  or  by  letter. 

If  any  holder  of  a  hcence  who  is  at  large  in  Great  Britain  or  Ireland  remains  in  any  place  for  forty-eight  hours  teilTuyut 
notifying  the  place  of  hie  residence  to  the  chief  officer  of  police  of  the  district  in  which  such  place  is  situated,  or  to  a 
constable  or  person  appointed  by  him,  or  fails  to  comply  unth  the  requisitions  of  this  section  on  the  occasion  of  any  change  of 
residence,  or  with  the  requisitions  of  'this  section  as  to  reporting  himself  ooce  in  each  month,  he  shall  in  every  such  cas? 
tinlees  he  proves  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Court  before  whom  he  is  tried  that  he  did  his  best  to  act  in  conformity  witb 
the  law,  be  gmlty  of  an  offence  against  the  Prevention  of  Crimes  Act,  and  upon  conviction  thereof  hit  licence  may  in  the 
diaeretion  of  the  Court  be  forfeited,  or  if  the  term  of  Penal  Servitude  m  respect  of  which  his  hcence  was  granted  has  expired, 
at  the  date  of  his  conviction,  it  shall  be  lawful  for  the  court  to  sentence  bim  to  imprisonment,  with  or  without  Hard 
Labour,  for  a  term  not  exceeding  one  year,  ei  if  the  said  term  of  Penal  Servitude  has  not  expired  hot  the  remainder 
onexpired  thereof  is  a  lesser  period  than  one  year,  then  to  sentence  him  to  imprisonment,  with  or  without  Hard 
LalxMir,  to  commence  at  the  expiratios  of  the  said  term  of  Penal  Servitude,  for  such  a  term  as,  together  with  the 
r«maiiMi«r  nnei/^ired  of  hie  saM  term  of  Penal  Servitude,  will  not  exceed  one  year. 

Where  any  puson  is  convicted  on  indictment  of  a  crime,  and  a  premous  conviction  of  a  crime  Is  proved  agunst 
^im^  he  shall,  at  any  time  within  seven  years  immediately  after  the  expiration  of  the  sentence  passed  on  bim  for  the 
last  of  such  crimes  be  guilty  of  an  offence  against  the  Prevention  of  Crimes  Act,  and  be  liable  to  imprisonment  with 
or  without  Hard  Labonr,  for  a  term  not  exceeding  one  year,  under  the  following  circumstances  or  any  of  them : 

Fi&ST.  If,  on  his  being  charged  by  a  constable  with  getting  bis  Uvelihood  by  dishonest  means,  and  being  broaght 
before  a  court  of  summary  jurisdiction,  it  appears  to  such  court  that  there  are  reasonable  grounds  for  belieoing  that 
the  person  so  charged  is  gelling  his  livelihood  by  dishoneH  means  ;  or, 

Sboondlt.  If  on  being  charged  w^th  any  offence  punishable  on  indictment  or  summary  conviction,  and  on  beic 
required  by  a  court  of  summary  jurisdiction  to  give  hia  name  and  address,  he  refuses  to  do  so,  or  jfivea  a  JalM 
mamt  or  afalat  address ;  or, 

IHIBDI.Y.  If  he  is  found  in  any  place,  whether  public  or  private,  under  such  circumstances  as  to  satisfy  the  eonrt 
befone  whom  he  is  brought  that  he  was  about  In  commit  or  to  aid  in  the  commission  of  any  offence  punishable  ot) 
indictment  or  summary  conviction,  or  was  uaiting  for  an  opportunity  to  commit  or  aid  in  the  commission  of  any 
afieaoe  pa&ishable  on  indictment  or  siunmary  conviction ;  or 

FX)t)BTHLT.  If  be  is  found  in  or  upon  any  dwelling-house,  or  any  building,  yard,  or  premises,  being  parcel  of  or 
Attached  to  ench  dweUing-honse,  or  in  or  upon  any  shop,  warobonse,  counting-bonse,  or  other  place  of  business, 
or  in  any  garden,  orchard,  pleasure-ground,  or  nursery-gronnd,  or  in  any  building  or  erection  in  any  garden, 
orchard,  pleasare-groimd,  or  nursery-ground,  without  being  ablf  to  account  to  the  satisfaction  qf  the  Court  befoio 
whom  be  ia  bxaag^for  his  being  found  on  ttuh  premises, 

I  have  now  brought  my  narrative  to  the  point  where  it 
connects  with  the  explanatory  chapter,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  book. 


PERSONAL.  559 

Good-natured  reader  —  you  who  have  followed  my  tor- 
tuous footsteps  almost  through  a  lifetime  —  a  lifetime  of 
experiences  the  like  of  which  I  trust  may  never  fall  to  the  lot 
of  another  —  the  limit  of  this  volume  is  now  reached  —  the 
end  has  come ! 

The  months  occupied  in  the  preparation  of  these  pages 
have  been  —  aside  from  painful  but  necessary  retrospections  — 
a  period  of  unalloyed  happiness.  Freedom  — home — friends! 
—  why  should  I  not  be  happy  ?  Instead  of  the  coldness  and 
rebuffs,  which  the  unwarranted  proceeding  in  New  York 
harbor  led  me  to  anticipate,  I  have  received  only  kindness, 
encouragement,  and  valued  assistance  from  the  best  men  and 
women  in  the  world.  Fortunate  indeed  is  it  that  my  associa- 
tions and  surroundings  have  been  of  so  heathful  a  character. 
Would  that  all,  in  circumstances  corresponding  with  my 
own,  might  enjoy  like  ennobling  influences ! 

What  more  fitting  time  than  this  beautiful  day  in  June 
for  paying  my  tribute  of  acknowledgment  to  those  benefac- 
tors ?  Reclining  dreamily,  my  attention  is  aroused  by  the 
hum  of  bees  around  my  hammock,  which  swings  from  the 
friendly  projecting  arms  of  a  conical-shaped  pine  at  the  foot 
of  the  lawn,  its  myriads  of  tufts  and  buds  swaying  to  the 
summer  breeze  and  filling  the  air  with  soft  murmurs.  Glanc- 
ing upward,  my  view  is  obstructed  by  majestic  ancestral  elms, 
together  forming  a  gigantic  bower.  The  melody  among  the 
grand  old  boughs  reveals  the  nesting-places  of  many  birds. 
Joyous  creatures  !  Who  would  not  be  happy  as  a  bird  in 
June  ?  Alas  !  my  lost  —  irrevocably  lost  —  score  of  Junes  I 
How  full  of  life  everything  appears.-  Yonder  a  squirrel 
scurries  circling  up  the  trunk  of  a  poplar.  Apple,  quince, 
cherry,  and  plum  trees. 

With  flowers  and  shrubs,  here  widely  spread. 
Shed  rich  perfumes  around  my  head. 

A  pair  of  robin  red-breasts  are  hopping  fearlessly  about; 
there  to  the  left,  a  little  jenny-wren  is  picking  at  the  pea- 
blossoms,  the  product  of  seed  planted  and  tended  by  my  own 


^QQ  ''HOME,  SWEET  HOME" 

hands,  from  which  T  hope  ere  long  to  be  rewarded  by  a  feast 
of  green  peas  —  the  first  in  fifteen  years  !  It  is  too  pleasant, 
the  air  too  delicious,  to  remain  indoors ;  and  seated  near  me  is 
the  modern  Penelope  —  from  whom  Folly  separated  me  so 
long  —  watching  the  sports  of  grandchildren.  Their  merry 
laughter  brings  to  the  youthful-appearing  grandmother's  lips 
an  answering  smile,  and  a  look  of  the  old-time  happiness  to 
her  still  handsome  features. 

Somehow,  I  feel  that  when  these  closing  words  of  mine 
are  being  read,  I  shall  be  permitted  to  regard  each  reader  as 
a  friend.  To  such  I  say  in  parting  :  Come  and  see  me  at  my 
pleasant  home  amid  the  elms  —  wife,  children,  grandchildren, 
clustering  around  me.  John  Howard  Payne  could  never 
have  appreciated  "  Home,  Sweet  Home "  as  I  now  do. 

Good-bye,  dear  readers  —  and  in  the  language  of  Tiny 
Tim,  "  God  bless  us  every  one  !  " 


"  The  Elms;'  East  Hartford,  Conn. 


1 


